1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,600 I want to start by reading the scripture in the book of Matthew 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,200 that actually quotes the scriptures from the Psalms. 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:07,840 It says with the while the Pharisees were gathered 4 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:10,960 together, Jesus asked them saying, What do you think about 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:12,680 the Christ? Whose son is he? 6 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:17,480 He said in the son of David. He said them How then does David 7 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,520 in the spear call him Lord, saying the Lord said to my Lord, 8 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,560 sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. 9 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:29,360 If David then calls him Lord, how is he his son now? 10 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,120 This is a very important scripture. 11 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,680 A few months back I was talking about Davidde life and David was 12 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,280 amazing man of the scriptures. The Bible says it was because he 13 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,080 was a man after God's own heart. He truly loved the Lord and he 14 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,000 truly endeavored to follow God in all of his ways. 15 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,160 So in that sense he was a great example. 16 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,960 And one day the Lord came to him and said that through his seed 17 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,200 would come a son who would inherit the Kingdom. 18 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,520 Now there was a natural sense to that because Solomon, his son 19 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,040 took over the Kingdom and also built the temple, which actually 20 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,480 was in his heart to do. But God said it wasn't for him 21 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,440 to do, it would be for his Son to do that instead. 22 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,800 But according to the scripture says it begins to unfold. 23 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,920 We go to a lot of Old Testament scriptures and we've called them 24 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,960 messianic prophecies because in fact, they tell us about Jesus 25 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:20,600 who was to come. And though there was a natural 26 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,240 application, there's a spiritual application. 27 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,120 So in time, the Jews recognize this, that when the Messiah 28 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,760 would come, the anointed one who had delivered them from their 29 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,360 oppressors, that he would be of the lineage of David. 30 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,760 That's why at Christmas when we tell the Christmas story, you'll 31 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,880 notice in the genealogies of the Gospels that it traces Jesus 32 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,640 lineage back to David, because that was very important 33 00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:48,400 concerning the prophecy that had been given to him. 34 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,360 David not only would have his natural son become something 35 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:56,280 that would be really a great blessing to the world of his 36 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,360 time, but that son also would build the temple. 37 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:04,640 Dave would actually bring forth another son in time, not just in 38 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,479 the natural, but he would also build a spiritual temple, if you 39 00:02:08,479 --> 00:02:12,760 would, because the Bible says that we are a spiritual temple 40 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:14,800 that God is raising up in the earth. 41 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,240 And so there's a natural implication and a spiritual 42 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,600 implication. The Jews were looking for a 43 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:25,240 natural person like David, who like Dave would be a man of war, 44 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,560 who like David would be able to challenge their enemies and like 45 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,640 David would give them power over all their enemies. 46 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:36,000 Because when David became the king, literally, he secured all 47 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,760 the borders of the country. And for the first time in their 48 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:42,440 history, when his son Solomon came to the throne, literally 49 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,880 the country was at peace because David was this man of war. 50 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,480 But in the understanding of the Scriptures, when Jesus Christ 51 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:55,040 came, he actually was the son of David, but he was also the Son 52 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,320 of God. Jesus was truly man, but he was 53 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,720 also truly God. And so when he's was speaking in 54 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,480 his ministry on the earth and he's talking about who He is, 55 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,760 sometimes they'd use references about himself, just like these 56 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,400 ones in Psalm. That would confuse the people. 57 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,400 And they didn't want to understand really, because they 58 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,880 had in their mind what they thought God should do. 59 00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:18,480 And if God wasn't going to do that way, they weren't going to 60 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,280 receive it at all. And so that's why Jesus 61 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:22,840 challenged them in the Scripture. 62 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:27,160 I just read to you, Well, in Psalm 110, it says the Lord says 63 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,280 to my Lord, sit while I make your enemies your footstool. 64 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,520 Now, if it's the Lord talking to the Lord, how could David's son 65 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,560 be just a man? The Lord was the Old Testament 66 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:41,600 word for Jehovah, Yahweh. It's translated different ways, 67 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:45,880 but it was the name of God, and so it was the Lord name of God, 68 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:50,560 saying to the Lord, the Son of God in this case, who would be 69 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,560 able to fulfill the purposes of God and come to this place of 70 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,280 victory. Again, the children of Israel 71 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,240 did not receive this. The religious establishment, 72 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,960 which was the Pharisees, they really stood against it, 73 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,920 actually consenting to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in 74 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,080 time. So he had a challenge to be able 75 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,840 to break the mindsets of the people, but it was hard for 76 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,640 those mindsets to be broken because their hearts weren't 77 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,399 exactly right towards the Lord. That's why this scripture here 78 00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:21,480 is a very good example of what describes their attitude. 79 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,000 It's from the book of Exodus chapter 20. 80 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,440 It says that they, Speaking of the children of Israel, said to 81 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:31,640 Moses, Speak with us and we will hear, but let not God speak with 82 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,680 us, unless we die. And Moses said to the people, Do 83 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,880 not fear, for God has come to test you, and that is fear may 84 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,320 be before you, so that you may not sin. 85 00:04:40,840 --> 00:04:44,600 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick 86 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,360 darkness where God was. So as Moses brought the children 87 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,440 of Israel out of the land of Egypt, where they were slaves, 88 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,960 they experienced a great deliverance and God told Moses 89 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,840 to take them to Mount Sinai, and there he would meet with them 90 00:04:57,840 --> 00:04:59,800 there. Now, when God came to them on 91 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,760 Mount Sinai, it was a horrible sight in one sense, because 92 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,080 there was Thunder, there was lightning, there were thick 93 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,720 clouds, there was literally an earthquake. 94 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,280 The whole earth was shaking from the very presence of the living 95 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:14,440 God. Now Moses explained that God 96 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,320 wanted to come so they could understand about the fear of the 97 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,080 Lord. Now the fear of the Lord is 98 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:21,040 different than being afraid of God. 99 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:24,200 The fear of the Lord is having such an awesome respect for who 100 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,480 He is that in fact it doesn't give you fear. 101 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,680 It takes away your natural fears, because when you know 102 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:32,760 that God is for you, who can be against you? 103 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,280 Amen. But that's only when you know 104 00:05:35,280 --> 00:05:38,680 who He actually is. He was this awesome God. 105 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,560 As a matter of fact, in the Old Testament, as the children 106 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,080 reservoir were getting ready to take the promised land, the Lord 107 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,200 said to them, now remember the Lord your God is an awesome God. 108 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,320 Now that's the word we use from the newer translation, the new 109 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:52,680 King James. But the original says the Lord 110 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,720 your God is a terrible God. Well, you read that today and 111 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:57,560 you think, well, why would God say he's terrible? 112 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,480 Well, the word has a double meaning. 113 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:03,440 It's terrible to be against that God, but it actually is 114 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:05,400 wonderful if you're with that God. 115 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,560 Amen, church. That's why, of course, the 116 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:11,200 translation was changed, because we understand God is an awesome 117 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:14,960 God, but you have to be careful that we have the fear of the 118 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,800 Lord because the Bible says that's the beginning of wisdom. 119 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,760 It's the beginning of knowledge. But when the children of Israel 120 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,240 saw God, they decided we're going to keep our distance and 121 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:29,120 we're going to be over here. And Moses, we'll let you go talk 122 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:30,800 to God. We want to hear what He has to 123 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:35,200 say, but you go talk to him, and you come to us and tell us what 124 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,840 He has to say. We don't want to get too close 125 00:06:37,840 --> 00:06:40,840 to that mountain. Now Moses was different than 126 00:06:40,840 --> 00:06:42,960 them. The Bible says that Moses talked 127 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:47,040 to God face to face as a man would his friend when he first 128 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:48,960 meets the Lord at the burning Bush. 129 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,440 The Bible says he has God. Well, what's your name? 130 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,040 I want to know who you are. Basically, he had this 131 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:56,480 motivation. I want to get to know who you 132 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:58,880 are, God. And that's such a powerful 133 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,200 thing. And every single one of us need 134 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:05,200 to understand we have the opportunity to get to know God. 135 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,040 I started going to church when I was very young. 136 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,680 In Sunday school. They would talk about Jesus 137 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,960 Christ and they would say you can have a personal relationship 138 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,200 with God. Well, to me, that was awesome. 139 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,360 I wanted to have a personal relationship with God. 140 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:20,160 Everybody in church talked about. 141 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,880 But I found out in time that most people didn't have a 142 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:27,400 personal relationship with God. They had personal experiences 143 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,760 from time to time, but they didn't build it into a 144 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:34,040 relationship. But for myself, I always wanted 145 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,400 that relationship and so I adhered to it. 146 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,520 I walked in it and I have all the days of my life and I've 147 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:44,160 become an advocate at all times. You can have a personal 148 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,440 relationship with God. Now, when I say I was different, 149 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,240 it wasn't like I was more holy or anything than other people. 150 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,600 Actually, it was because God chose me for a specific purpose 151 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,680 of sharing with people about having a personal relationship. 152 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,200 Most people have a difficult relationship with God because He 153 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:01,320 is invisible. Amen. 154 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,680 I mean, you know, it isn't easy to have a relationship with 155 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:07,360 somebody who's invisible. Come on. 156 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:09,920 It's hard enough to have one with one who is visible. 157 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:14,200 A man who can talk. Well, I was uniquely chosen 158 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,560 because, well, I could get along with invisible people. 159 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,080 As a matter of fact, all my friends when I was a kid were 160 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,240 invisible. I was kind of like an introvert, 161 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,400 a very shy person, had a big family, so that was big enough 162 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,440 for me as far as having people around me. 163 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:33,039 But when I played, I usually had friends who were invisible. 164 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,120 It was easier to work with people that were invisible in my 165 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:38,640 mind. So I'd go out and I used to love 166 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:42,200 to play cowboy and Indians when I was a kid, which was quite 167 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:44,159 shocking for me. I talked to one of my grandkids 168 00:08:44,159 --> 00:08:46,320 about Cowboys and Indians, and they didn't know what I was 169 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:48,560 talking about. I'm like, oh Lord, what's 170 00:08:48,560 --> 00:08:51,360 happened to this world? But anyway, I always like to be 171 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:54,480 the Indian chief. And so I had to have all my 172 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:57,520 Braves that were behind me be, well, pretend Braves. 173 00:08:57,880 --> 00:08:59,560 And all the Cowboys were pretend. 174 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,200 So when I would get Christmas presents, birthday presents, 175 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,680 often it'd be some kind of Indian headdress that I could 176 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:08,360 wear so that I could be the chief because my mom always 177 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,400 encouraged me and my fantasy world in that. 178 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,800 And so when I didn't have a Indian headdress, I would sneak 179 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,800 in my sister Jeannie's room, get her cane can and put it on my 180 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,560 head. I don't know if the can cans are 181 00:09:19,560 --> 00:09:23,160 still used nowadays or not, but if you can imagine seeing me run 182 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:28,040 around the backyard with a can can on my head, telling my 183 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,640 soldiers to follow me and fighting against the other ones. 184 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,440 My next door neighbor, Mr. Hamilton, he called me the 185 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:35,160 Sheik. And I'm like, I'm not a Sheik, 186 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:36,920 I'm a chief. I didn't understand what he was 187 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:39,000 saying, but he certainly didn't understand what I was doing. 188 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,800 In the winter time, I go inside and I play with my marbles. 189 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,720 I had a thousands of marbles. Some were red, some were blue. 190 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,440 And so when I put them out on the bed, the red ones were the 191 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:52,360 Indians. The blue ones don't tell anybody 192 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:55,600 that, but the red ones were the Indians and the blue ones were 193 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:59,520 the Cowboys. And I'd be sitting on my bed and 194 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:03,360 I'd be making Indian noises as I'm pushing the red ones and 195 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:05,560 cowboy fighting. When I was doing the blue ones, 196 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,160 I remember one day my dad standing at the door kind of 197 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:12,560 looking at me, kind of strange. And I know he was thinking, I 198 00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:17,200 wonder if this kid will be normal one of these days then. 199 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,280 Anyway, although it was comfortable me to have Jesus as 200 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:25,680 my individual invisible friend, I also understood that I had to 201 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,760 not make him up, so to speak, formulate my own Jesus. 202 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,120 But I had to, through the Word of God, get to know who He was. 203 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:35,280 And of course, when your kid in Sunday school, you have all 204 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:37,160 kinds of visuals that people show you. 205 00:10:37,560 --> 00:10:41,160 My favorite, of course, was Jesus with the lamb in his arms 206 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:43,600 looking for the lost sheep of the House of Israel. 207 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,000 And that was the picture I built on and I grew in. 208 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:51,080 And so it's so important for us to recognize that we need to 209 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:55,400 make a choice. God is going to be a personal 210 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:59,400 part of my life. I want to be like Moses. 211 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,120 I want to be like all these other people of the Old 212 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,160 Testament. That's why I'm writing my class 213 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:05,520 that I'm teaching on Thursday nights. 214 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,320 It's about having this personal relationship, really about 215 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:10,800 walking with Jesus to become everything we're supposed to be. 216 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,840 Because I really believe that's what happens when we follow him 217 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:18,840 and it's an amazing thing to know like Moses, God face to 218 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:22,920 face as a man with a friend, not that we will visibly see him, 219 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:28,360 but our perception becomes that as we walk in the word with the 220 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:32,840 help of the Holy Spirit. Now in Psalm 110, going back to 221 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:36,840 the original Scripture, it says the Lord said to my Lord, sit at 222 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:40,040 my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. 223 00:11:40,560 --> 00:11:44,840 The Lord shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion rule 224 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:48,720 in the midst of your enemies. Now this is beautiful because 225 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,720 basically when Jesus Christ was on the earth for three years, he 226 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:56,960 ministered in obedience to the call on his life to preach the 227 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,920 gospel to the poor, the opening of prison to them that were 228 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:03,480 bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and bring 229 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,360 deliverance to so many people. But of also, most of us know 230 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:10,520 that in the end that meant he was willing to be obedient even 231 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:13,120 unto his death. And the Bible says that when 232 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,400 Jesus Christ died on the cross. That's why I love to show the 233 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,480 picture when people are baptized, because there's an 234 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:22,640 identification we can have with that experience that when Jesus 235 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:26,240 Christ died on the cross, because he was obedience, the 236 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:30,400 Bible says through the spirit of holiness that he even rose from 237 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:32,560 the dead. And the Bible says that when he 238 00:12:32,560 --> 00:12:35,920 rose from the dead, he sits at the right hand of authority on 239 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:37,880 high. And we know from other 240 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,760 scriptures that the Bible teaches us that all the 241 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:44,520 principalities and powers of the enemy have been broken. 242 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:48,680 So basically after Jesus did his job, he goes to heaven, sits 243 00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:53,840 down and says OK, what next? Well from that point in time 244 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,800 everything would happen. Not through him personally, but 245 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:00,080 the strength would come from Zion. 246 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,840 The Bible says. Now in the Old Testament, Zion 247 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:06,200 referred to the Jews to Mount Zion where the temple was. 248 00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:08,640 But we know in the New Testament, the Bible says in 249 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:11,880 Hebrews chapter 12, but you have come to Mount Zion. 250 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,520 It is the city of the living God, a heavenly Jerusalem. 251 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:17,600 That's what happens when we come to church. 252 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:22,000 We are those people that God has chosen, that through us the 253 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,360 strength of the Christ would come. 254 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:29,320 So all that He accomplished, He accomplished not just for us, 255 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:32,160 but he wants to do something through us. 256 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,120 And a lot of Christians want him to do something for them, but He 257 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,080 also wants to do something through you. 258 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,320 And that isn't just a ministry, that isn't just something that 259 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:43,080 you're doing specifically for God. 260 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:47,040 As a Christian, we should see that all of our life is an 261 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:51,240 opportunity for us to invite God to come in and be a part of what 262 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:56,040 we're doing, and He's able to do something for us that we can do 263 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:58,840 for ourselves. And so that's what God wants us 264 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,560 to understand. He wants us to grow in the 265 00:14:01,560 --> 00:14:04,480 knowledge of Him through an ongoing relationship with Him 266 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,680 that really we practice in everyday life as we allow Him to 267 00:14:07,680 --> 00:14:10,480 come into our circumstances and situations. 268 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:14,040 It goes on to say here in this Psalm, your people will be 269 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:18,120 volunteers of the day of your power in the beauties of 270 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:20,520 holiness from the womb of the morning. 271 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,920 You have the dew of your youth. And this is a key factor here. 272 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,680 And something I really believe is God saying to the church 273 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:31,480 today with me, everything has a season and it has a time, says 274 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:34,520 the Lord, and this is a day of visitation. 275 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,400 This is the day of my power, says the Lord your God. 276 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,320 And in order for this day of power to be manifested, the 277 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:45,000 people have to be volunteers. The word volunteer there 278 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:47,280 actually means to have a willing heart. 279 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:51,800 And so God's saying we've got to be willing to allow God into our 280 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:56,240 life so we can make our life a habitation for God's willing, 281 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:58,880 and throughout a partnership with him, bring glory and honor 282 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:01,680 and praise to our Lord. And I truly believe this is a 283 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:04,760 time when God's going to have volunteers as never before. 284 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:08,800 So I'll be talking about it even more and more as the days unfold 285 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,480 because I really believe that God wants us to push out into 286 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:14,880 the community, offering more programs and more opportunities 287 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:17,960 for people to come to the Lord. So this is a time when God is 288 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,840 saying the call is going. Now, will there be volunteers in 289 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,720 the House of God? Now again, often times people 290 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:27,720 think, well, I don't have any attributes that I could use to 291 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,400 volunteer for the things of the Kingdom of God, But it's 292 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:33,480 obviously true with our community centers how that 293 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,960 there's a lot of different jobs that you could do in order to 294 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:40,760 facilitate the operations of the buildings and all the things. 295 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,400 While one of the ladies in the church was probably 20 years ago 296 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:47,760 said I'll, I'll come every once a week and clean the bathrooms. 297 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:51,920 And as far as I know, she's still doing that and it's been a 298 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:54,760 help to what we're doing doing. And so there's all kinds of 299 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:56,960 different ways that we'll be talking to you about in the 300 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,200 future. But just remember, God wants to 301 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,680 do something awesome. And it's going to start with the 302 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:05,120 people that say I'm a volunteer, I'm ready. 303 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,480 Now the second part of that verse, it kind of seems funny 304 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:11,840 because it talks about the dew of your youth that comes in the 305 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:13,800 morning. There's trying to paint a 306 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:16,920 picture here because when do we see dew? 307 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:20,560 Well, it's in the morning, and what happens, especially this 308 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,080 time of year, might be warm during the day, but as it cools 309 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:28,680 in the night, the cooler air isn't able to hold its moisture. 310 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:32,360 So what happens is that moisture starts falling to the ground. 311 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,400 And that's why in the fall, you'll often go outside and see 312 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:37,040 that there's a dew on the ground. 313 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:40,760 And So what it is symbolizing is what's happening in the 314 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:43,960 beginning of the day. You're gonna see the dew and 315 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:47,480 what this scripture says, the dew of your youth. 316 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,840 And one of the things I was feeling God was speaking to me 317 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:54,680 about is that we need to recognize this is a day of 318 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:59,000 visitation and power, especially among the youth. 319 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,440 And so we'll be calibrating our Community Center. 320 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:05,480 And that's why we really appreciate the extra funds that 321 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,200 we can have at this time. And I was talking to the leaders 322 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,839 yesterday that we're going to have a level of faith. 323 00:17:10,839 --> 00:17:13,280 We're going to make a difference in the world today as never 324 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:14,520 before. Amen Church. 325 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:19,440 And I'm excited about what God is able to do and people giving 326 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:21,400 their part and their share to be a part of this. 327 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:23,640 But the key factor is there's something happened with young 328 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:29,360 people today and it's I've seen it reported in secular reports 329 00:17:29,360 --> 00:17:32,240 as well as Christian ones. George Bonner, who's a Christian 330 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:37,120 pollster, I guess, is the word to describe it, and he's been 331 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:40,360 polling the generations and he's saying there's something 332 00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:44,160 happening in the younger generation right now, and 333 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:47,800 literally young adults have the highest level of church 334 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:49,720 attendance of all the different generations. 335 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:52,200 Believe it or not, it didn't used to be that way. 336 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:58,200 And one of the things that they were saying is that there is a 337 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:02,160 movement even among young men because in the past, whenever 338 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:04,560 God did something new, truthfully, women were almost 339 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,000 always on the forefront of what was happening. 340 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,640 And that's why, especially when you start a new work or God's 341 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:14,400 doing something new, it usually doesn't what quite work this 342 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:16,080 way. But in this new harvest is 343 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,920 coming right now, everybody's saying something's happening. 344 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:21,120 So church, we're getting ready for the harvest. 345 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:23,720 We're going to make a difference in our world. 346 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:27,040 Amen. Not just for the world's 347 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,480 children, but for ours, because we're going to believe this 348 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:32,800 blessing is going to go to our children, to our children's 349 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,600 children, Amen. I want to be proactive to 350 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,360 believe that no matter what's happening in the world, I can 351 00:18:38,360 --> 00:18:41,560 have a confidence that God is able to keep what I've committed 352 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:43,440 on to him against that day, Amen. 353 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:48,440 And so this is a time that youthful harvest is going to 354 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:50,800 arise. And as you often hear me 355 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:55,640 testify, I became a part of that in the Jesus people movement in 356 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,560 the early 70s. And I believe that something 357 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:00,720 just as dramatics happening today. 358 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:03,760 That's why we have to have an ear to hear and we have to 359 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:06,480 willing heart to be a part of all that God is doing. 360 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:10,960 Now going to the book of Hebrews chapter 2, we see another 361 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:15,240 illustration and amplification again of Psalm 110. 362 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,760 In this particular verse it says, For He has not put the 363 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:24,200 world to come of which we speak in subjection to angels, but one 364 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,640 testified in a certain place, saying, What is man, that you 365 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,600 are mindful of him, or the Son of man, that you take care of 366 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,040 him? You have made him a little lower 367 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,840 than angels, and yet you have crowned him with glory and honor 368 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:38,920 and set him over the works of your hands. 369 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,480 Now this of course is quoting a scripture from the book of 370 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:44,600 Genesis. In the very beginning of time 371 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,200 when God created man, the Bible says he created him from the 372 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:51,120 dust of the earth, breathed in his nostrils the best breath of 373 00:19:51,120 --> 00:19:53,920 life, and man became a living being. 374 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:58,480 Now when God started this, he said, now let us make man in our 375 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:03,560 image and in our likeness. Not only that, let them have 376 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:07,280 dominion over all the creation that I have. 377 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,240 And then after they were created, He gave them that 378 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,240 dominion mandate. It's time to take your place. 379 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:17,920 That's why Hebrews chapter 2 is quoting another Psalm. 380 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:22,520 In that Psalm chapter 8 where he's saying, well, why would God 381 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:25,040 use people? If God had a great plan for 382 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:28,200 planet earth, why wouldn't he just use the angels? 383 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:30,240 They would be much easier to work with. 384 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:33,360 They have so much more power. Who is man that you are mindful 385 00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:35,600 of him are the Son of man. You would visit him. 386 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:39,040 Well, God said the angels were not created in my image and 387 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,760 likeness. Since the time of the 388 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:45,480 Reformation, people began to realize that Christianity should 389 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,560 not be a mere religion, but it should be a people that 390 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:53,440 understand they were created for a unique purpose that only God 391 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,240 could come up with. And that's why we have to not 392 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,760 only receive Christ in our life, but we need to say, OK, what 393 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:03,760 purpose do you want to add to my life so that I can be that image 394 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:08,120 bearer to my generation? And it's so sad that in the 395 00:21:08,120 --> 00:21:11,520 story of the children of Israel, how they chose religious 396 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:15,720 tradition over having that personal encounter with God. 397 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:18,800 And we see the same thing happening in church history. 398 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,040 There came a time really when the dynamic church that was so 399 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:26,240 powerful that literally the whole Roman Empire, which was 400 00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:30,440 guilty of crucifying the Christ, literally turned to Christianity 401 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:34,000 in 320AD. How did how did that happen? 402 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:38,640 Well, it was a powerful group of people, but once the church 403 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:42,920 became accepted, unfortunately people began to follow the old 404 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:46,680 patterns of having priests and intermediaries between them and 405 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:48,880 God. And God was put more at a 406 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,040 distance. And the Lord says, don't you 407 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:53,880 know that I created you in my image and likeness? 408 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:56,200 You don't have to put me in the distance. 409 00:21:56,360 --> 00:21:58,880 You don't have to have another person between me and you. 410 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:02,880 I want you, says the mighty God, and I want to have a 411 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:07,000 relationship with you that you were created as my image bear, 412 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,720 and you can be everything that I have called you to be, says the 413 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:14,400 mighty God, Amen. And with that will be a people 414 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:18,440 of influence, will be a people that will be able to subdue and 415 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:22,320 have authority in this life that goes beyond our natural 416 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:25,440 authority, but something very powerful that only the Lord 417 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:28,200 himself can do. As the Hebrew writer goes on, it 418 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:32,240 says you have put all things in subjection under his feet. 419 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:36,160 That speaks the first of Christ, but then also for us, in that He 420 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:38,480 put all in subjection under His feet. 421 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,280 He left nothing that is not put under His feet. 422 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,960 But now we do not yet see all these things put under him. 423 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,480 But what do we see? Well, we see Jesus, who was also 424 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:51,440 made a little lower than the angels, as a man for the 425 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:55,040 suffering address, crowned with glory and honor that He, by the 426 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:58,600 grace of God, might taste death for everyone. 427 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:03,640 So Jesus Christ had to become a man in order that he could show 428 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:07,520 us what it was to be one of those image bearers, if you 429 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:11,600 would, and a person who could be an overcomer in this life. 430 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:14,480 Jesus had a life of a lot of opposition. 431 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:17,160 Opposition is a normal part of life. 432 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:21,240 Even when we get in a relationship, there's opposition 433 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:22,920 because we're different. Amen. 434 00:23:23,120 --> 00:23:27,040 When we go out for our vacation or job, everywhere we go there's 435 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:30,600 a certain level of opposition that comes our way. 436 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:34,560 But God can give us power over every circumstance of our life. 437 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:35,880 Church. Isn't he amazing? 438 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:39,200 Don't you want to walk in the fullness of all that he has? 439 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:42,680 But what that scripture says is Jesus has already won. 440 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:46,320 We don't see it yet because when we see it, it's going to be 441 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:51,400 happening under our feet. God says, I have called you to 442 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:55,240 be a people of authority. I've called you to be a people 443 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:57,320 that overcome, says the mighty God. 444 00:23:57,560 --> 00:23:59,720 It isn't just what Jesus did for you. 445 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:04,560 Now it's what you're going to do for him, but also he's going to 446 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,600 do it through you. Give him a praise on that. 447 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,480 That's a good one. Amen. 448 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:12,880 It goes on to say here in Hebrews chapter 2. 449 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:17,720 For it was fitting for him whom are all things, and by whom are 450 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:21,800 all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the 451 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,680 captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 452 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,920 For Rothy, who sanctifies, and those who are being sanctified 453 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:32,880 are all one speaking about Jesus who started it now us who are in 454 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,160 process. For which reason he's not 455 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,800 ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare your name 456 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:41,360 to my brethren in the midst of this symbol. 457 00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:45,720 I will sing to you. And again I will put my trust in 458 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,400 him. And again, here am I and the 459 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:53,560 children whom God has given me. I put over this that Jesus 460 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:57,200 becomes our Big Brother. But it starts by recognizing 461 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:01,400 that Jesus was a son of glory and he's called us to be the 462 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:04,280 sons of glory. Isn't that amazing church to 463 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:07,800 think about that If I want to emphasize the fact that he talks 464 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:11,120 about us being his children. When you're first born again, 465 00:25:11,120 --> 00:25:12,840 how you know you become a son of God. 466 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:15,600 But God doesn't want us to be children. 467 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:18,960 He wants us to grow into maturity so that we can be the 468 00:25:19,360 --> 00:25:22,080 sons of God, not just the children of God. 469 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:26,040 And I put here how important a Big Brother was because I know 470 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:28,560 in the natural life about having a Big Brother. 471 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:32,720 As most of you know, my Big Brother passed away recently and 472 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:35,520 I did his funeral. That's the 4th member of my 473 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,720 family I've done funerals for. And it's not a easy task, but 474 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:42,040 there's one thing I'd want to do it give honor to the people who 475 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:45,760 have blessed me in my life. And so I would always want to 476 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:48,880 take that opportunity to be a blessing for them in return. 477 00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:51,400 And I sure appreciate it, having a Big Brother. 478 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:54,800 I grew up in a family that I had eight brothers and sisters. 479 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:57,360 There were nine kids. And you might think that was 480 00:25:57,360 --> 00:25:59,720 crazy, but seemed like most of our relatives were in a 481 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,160 competition because I had an Aunt Alice who had 10 kids, you 482 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,360 know, So there were a lot of us back then had Big Van. 483 00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:07,560 Now, in a big family, there's a whole lot of work that's 484 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:09,360 involved. I heard somebody talked about 485 00:26:09,360 --> 00:26:12,240 the other day about how hard it is to have two or three kids. 486 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:16,120 Well, when my mom had #8 my brother had been born at seven 487 00:26:16,120 --> 00:26:21,040 months, so she had her 8th kid, and five of them had not reached 488 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:24,320 4-5 yet. How many know that's a whole lot 489 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:27,320 of work. So what happens in a big family 490 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:29,920 situation like this? If you can't afford help, you 491 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:31,800 got to have the help in the household. 492 00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:36,360 So my sister Jeannie became the assistant to the mother and my 493 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:38,920 brother Bill is the assistant to the father. 494 00:26:39,360 --> 00:26:42,520 And so my dad used to work a lot to take care of the family. 495 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:45,600 I remember hearing people say, yo, my dad's not around. 496 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:47,680 You don't come to my games. I'm like, my dad's working for 497 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,960 money and I like the money so he can go wherever he needs to go. 498 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:56,640 Besides that, I had a Big Brother and my Big Brother gave 499 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,440 me that feeling like my dad did. He could take care of me. 500 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:02,480 He's pretty tough guy and I knew he could take care of me. 501 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:06,640 But as a Big Brother, he also challenged me on things and so 502 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:10,400 lots of times in life when because I was an introvert and 503 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:15,160 very easily being willing to draw back rather than to push 504 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:18,400 in, he would be always there. Come on, Lauren, you can do it. 505 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,520 Come on. Sometimes they'd use some names 506 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,600 that I would repeat here. But anyway, he's like you got to 507 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,680 challenge yourself. I've often shared the story how 508 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:30,600 that when I was 17, I had a good job, so I bought a new car and 509 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:34,400 it was a 1971 Camaro and I knew I had to have a girlfriend in 510 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:38,560 the other book at seat if I life is going to be fulfilling and 511 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:41,680 I'll share with you how I prayed for a girlfriend and it was a 512 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:43,560 beautiful prayer I presented to the Lord. 513 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:46,120 Well, my brother Bill, he's kind of like you don't pray for a 514 00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:48,080 girlfriend. You just go get a girlfriend. 515 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,320 I'm like, well, that's easy for you because he was pretty good 516 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:53,280 at it. I just watched from the 517 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:54,640 sidelines, you know, kind of thing. 518 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:58,000 So one day he says, hey, calls me. 519 00:27:58,000 --> 00:27:59,920 He said, Lauren, I want to go to my friend's house. 520 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,080 We're going to go work on the race car. 521 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:04,680 And I said, he said, well, you come pick me up. 522 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:07,400 So I picked him up and we went over there and we're looking at 523 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:08,760 things. And all of a sudden he stops and 524 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:12,400 he says, hey, he said, Ron, Lauren just bought a new car and 525 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,640 he wants your sister to go for a ride in it so he can show her. 526 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:22,000 I'm like I had never met the girl before, let alone I get the 527 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:23,560 nerve to ask her to go in my car. 528 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:25,600 So I'm just in panic mode. What am I going to say? 529 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:26,960 What am I going to do? How am I going to think? 530 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:31,520 Anyway, through spraying in tongues I got through it. 531 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,400 But anyway, not really. I wasn't filled with the Holy 532 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:36,680 Spirit yet, but I was praying. I can tell you that right now. 533 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:41,320 And it was that girl who a couple weeks later came into the 534 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,400 Wolves Den, which was the store Clarkson High School had. 535 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,840 And I was a part of being in that as a Co-op. 536 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,080 And she came in and she also told me that she was going to a 537 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:53,680 place called the Prayer House, which was a part of the Jesus 538 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:56,720 People movement. And she asked me if I want to go 539 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,000 to the prayer house. And I'm like, here's the answer 540 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:00,840 to prayer right in front of me. Of course, I'm going to go to a 541 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:04,680 prayer house. But anyway, it was a beautiful 542 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:07,040 experience. I would all work, but it was 543 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:10,040 through that that I received the Holy Spirit and got involved in 544 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:11,760 the ministry and everything happened. 545 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:14,920 So I can say it was prayer, but it was also my brother Bill that 546 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:16,200 got me filled with the Holy Ghost. 547 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:20,400 Say mentored because God can use our Big Brothers to push us 548 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:24,120 along the way. It's funny because I was reading 549 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:26,400 the article and they were all excited the person that was 550 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:29,280 writing the article how that now that the boys outnumber the 551 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,080 girls, I'm like I kind of like the olden days when the girls 552 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,520 outnumber the guys. It's not more fun for me anyway. 553 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:39,280 Might sound selfish, whatever having a Big Brother is 554 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:44,120 something that Jesus has been to me as well because as I've 555 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:46,520 shared with you my many testimonies of faith that I've 556 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:48,720 had. I'm not a daring person at all 557 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:53,200 in my natural personality. And so I'm just the kind of 558 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,720 person is kind of like OK, whatever you know what you do 559 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,960 don't matter to me. I'll just enjoy my own little 560 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:03,880 pretend world if you would. But God challenged me to take 561 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:07,760 big steps, whether it was the buying of our first church that 562 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,040 was way more than we could afford, buying this 52 acres 563 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:16,840 next to I-75, which it really didn't seem at all feasible at 564 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:18,720 the time. But again, God was always there 565 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,120 pushing me and always saying to me, come on Lauren, you can do 566 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:23,360 it. Just get going. 567 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:28,040 And through the encouragement of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, 568 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:31,000 I've been able to step out beyond myself. 569 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:34,040 And that's what happens when you have a relationship with God. 570 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:39,280 It changes along the way because God is always bringing us 571 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,680 forward. And I think this is a good case 572 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,360 of no, because somebody was telling me before the 1st that, 573 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,640 well, the faith they used to have doesn't seem to be working 574 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:50,120 the same and they were wondering if they were losing their faith. 575 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:54,280 And I want to repeat that story because I want to tell you a lot 576 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:56,560 of people are being challenged by your faith right now because 577 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:59,040 God wants to take you to a new level of faith. 578 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:03,120 Yesterday was good, but today is better, says the mighty God. 579 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:04,640 I have a place I want to take you. 580 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,240 You've never been before. So it goes on to say it in 581 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:11,160 Romans 2, and we know that all things work together for good to 582 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:14,880 those who love God, to those who are what a called according to 583 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:18,880 his purpose, for whom he for knew, He also predestined to be 584 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:23,720 conformed to the image of his Son, that he, Jesus would be the 585 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:27,680 first born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he predestined, 586 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:31,760 these He also called, whom he called, these he also justified, 587 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:36,280 and whom He justified these He also what glorified. 588 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:39,440 Now it's using it in the past tense sense, but we have to 589 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:43,160 understand that God does stuff and it's already accomplished, 590 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:45,800 but we have to make the choice to walk in it. 591 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,480 Amen. So when it says being conformed 592 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:53,000 to the image of Christ, it means to be jointly formed. 593 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:57,200 So as you're walking with him and it is very true, you begin 594 00:31:57,200 --> 00:32:01,080 to pick up the habits and the thoughts of the people that are 595 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:03,120 around you. That's why it's important to 596 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:05,040 figure out who you're letting be around you. 597 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:09,320 But also you have to understand that when we walk closely to 598 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:16,040 Christ and we are with him to a strong sense of joining, then 599 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:19,600 your walk with him will form you because as you're walking 600 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,760 together and that's where this picture begins to come in. 601 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:27,400 Because when we become joined with him, something happens that 602 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:32,680 begins to change us in our life. It says Jesus was the first born 603 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:36,880 among many brother. He was the only begotten Son of 604 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,200 God. Now we know concerning Jesus 605 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:42,440 Christ that in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, 606 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:47,800 and the Word was God. So Jesus wasn't born on the day 607 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:52,000 that he was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the same sense we are. 608 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:57,160 He was incarnated, but in that incarnation he becomes the first 609 00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:01,560 born of the family of God. He becomes our Big Brother, He 610 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:04,840 becomes our protector, He becomes our instructor, He 611 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:08,520 becomes all things that we have need of, because that's how the 612 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:12,560 power of God works in our lives in the individual sins. 613 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,560 That's why it says this in Hebrews Ephesians chapter 4. 614 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:20,920 But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard 615 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:25,680 Him and what been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus, that 616 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:29,080 you put off concerning your former conduct the old man, 617 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:33,520 which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and be renewed, 618 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:37,480 in the spirit of your mind you may put on the new man, which 619 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:42,080 was a created according to God, and true righteousness, and also 620 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:45,760 holiness. So there is this walking 621 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,600 together with Christ, where we learn more about Him. 622 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,920 And how do you know when you find a new friend or somebody 623 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:55,160 who comes to your life, As you get to interact with them, you 624 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:57,800 get to know them. You don't know them the first 625 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:01,120 time you meet them. It's a process where people kind 626 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,520 of let their walls down and you become friends. 627 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:06,280 And of course, God's walls are always down. 628 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:08,960 But we let down our walls. And guess what? 629 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,120 When we do that, we'll get to know Jesus like we've never 630 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:16,120 known Him before. I love this walk I have with Him 631 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:19,120 because for all these years I can still learn something, I can 632 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:22,440 still see something, and I can still allow God to take me 633 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:26,199 beyond myself to a dimension I've never walked in before. 634 00:34:26,639 --> 00:34:31,360 And this is so important because when you walk with Christ, you 635 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:34,159 have to recognize He wants to teach you along the way. 636 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:37,120 So when we have a crisis relationship with God and just 637 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:41,000 call Him in for help when we need help, we're never going to 638 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,800 be able to learn and hear from Him the way we're supposed to. 639 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:49,800 Most of you know that when we got this 52 acres here on I-75, 640 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:53,000 there were miraculous means by which the Lord did that. 641 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:56,719 Don't want to share that story again, but when God performed 642 00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:59,880 the miracle of giving him this property, when we went to the 643 00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:03,240 Township with our plans, I thought for sure they would give 644 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:05,440 us a yes. They gave us a no. 645 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:07,920 They said things like a church shouldn't have that property, 646 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:09,520 it's so visible, blah, blah, blah. 647 00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:13,040 And so it seemed like it was just going to be a no. 648 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:15,960 And so we started fighting against them. 649 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:18,400 We were getting petitions. We had crowds of people who were 650 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:20,080 protesting. We're doing everything we could. 651 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:24,920 And then when I was in prayer, the Lord said, Romans 13 to me, 652 00:35:25,240 --> 00:35:29,280 and government is for your good. It's not a tool against good 653 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:31,160 people. It's a tool against evil people. 654 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:34,720 And basically in the context of that, the Lord said, shouldn't 655 00:35:34,720 --> 00:35:36,240 you be submitting to the government? 656 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:41,440 So I'm like, OK, I like the fighting in part better. 657 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:43,680 You work this miracle when you gave us the land. 658 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:47,760 Surely we can move in there as the people of God take dominion. 659 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:51,680 He said no, submit, find out what I can do for you. 660 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:54,520 And so we went in there and we submitted to the plan and 661 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:57,800 purposes as they gave us the commandment, if you would. 662 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:01,800 And I saw God's wisdom in it. See, I was able to be instructed 663 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:04,240 how I didn't even see God's full plan. 664 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:07,960 Sometimes God uses the people around you to work the plan out. 665 00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:12,720 And it was because we did that we were able to move slowly and 666 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:15,560 add on to our building twice in just a couple years. 667 00:36:15,720 --> 00:36:18,040 But then also we had the opportunity to open our 668 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:20,520 Community Center, one in Clarkson and one in Waterford. 669 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:23,720 And it was just, when I look back, I'm like, Lord, you're so 670 00:36:23,720 --> 00:36:28,080 smart. Sometimes we just got to stop 671 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:30,560 and we got to listen. Amen, church. 672 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:33,640 And this is where this scripture comes in, because it's so 673 00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:36,720 important for the day and hour in which we presently live. 674 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:40,880 And this is the invitation Jesus says to all of us, Come to me, 675 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:45,000 all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 676 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,720 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I'm gentle and 677 00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:52,120 lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 678 00:36:52,240 --> 00:36:54,920 Why? For my yoke is easy and my 679 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:57,040 burden is light. And I want you to see what a 680 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:58,600 yoke was. Because it was something they 681 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:03,160 would use to put 2 animals together in order to double the 682 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:06,000 power as they were, for instance, like this palm of 683 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:07,920 field. But I like this picture because 684 00:37:08,240 --> 00:37:10,920 Jesus is carrying the Hever load and we're kind of over here like 685 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:16,360 this, but stay in yoke to him. He's able to do something in US 686 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:20,600 and strengthen us. And we also understand, or we 687 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:23,560 should, that if we allow ourselves to be yoked with 688 00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:26,760 Christ, and if we have that personal relationship with him 689 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:31,880 where we let him teach us, speak to us, grow in our lives. 690 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:35,400 Church, you're going to find rest for your weary soul. 691 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:39,040 And you know, we live in a world today where the world needs to 692 00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:43,560 find the rest, find the peace. And we have to understand too, 693 00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:46,400 there's things happening today that can shake you at your very 694 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:52,200 core, but when you're yoked together with Christ, He's able 695 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:56,520 to strengthen you, to teach you, and to make you everything you 696 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:59,440 need to be for whatever life He has called you to. 697 00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:01,400 Can we all bow our heads for just a moment? 698 00:38:01,720 --> 00:38:04,080 Because before we take communion, the Bible says we 699 00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:07,960 should examine ourselves. And the Lord is saying to us 700 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:17,520 today, come to me, come you that are weary or heavy laden, and 701 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:20,840 find out I can give you rest. Come to me. 702 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:24,200 You that are confused, I can give you answers, I can give you 703 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,200 wisdom, I can give you understanding. 704 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:34,120 Put your life in my hands and find out that with me all things 705 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:36,280 are possible, says the mighty Godfather. 706 00:38:37,240 --> 00:38:40,160 I pray for all of us as a people today. 707 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:45,560 We're living in a unusual time, but we know it's your time. 708 00:38:46,240 --> 00:38:50,760 We know it's your season, and we know that we are your chosen 709 00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:54,800 ones in the earth. So Father, let us bring glory 710 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:58,480 and honor and praise your name by finding your strength and 711 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:03,280 life in every situation. We ask it in Jesus name, Amen. 712 00:39:03,880 --> 00:39:06,640 This is Pastor Lauren Coburbius from Mount Zion church. 713 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:09,600 We thank you for joining us today and invite you to connect 714 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:13,200 with our church family by visiting mountzion.org and 715 00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:15,800 following us on social media. God bless you.