1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,760 Well, I want to open with the scripture from John's Gospel, 2 00:00:02,760 --> 00:00:05,680 chapter 16. It says I still have many things 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:07,560 to say to you, but you cannot bear them. 4 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,120 Now. However, when He, the Spirit of 5 00:00:10,120 --> 00:00:12,480 truth has come, he will guide you into all truth. 6 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,760 For He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He 7 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:19,000 hears, He will speak and He will tell you things to come. 8 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:24,360 He will glorify me, for He will take what is mine and declare it 9 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,040 to you. Notice I put over this human 10 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,640 development. I've used the Scripture on 11 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,280 several different occasions recently because to me it's a 12 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:36,000 very appropriate scripture for the present time that we're 13 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,080 living in. The setting of it in the 14 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,400 Scripture is Jesus Christ is getting ready to go to the cross 15 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,480 and through his death, burial and resurrection start the 16 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:46,200 church. And the disciples would take a 17 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:48,960 very important part in that place. 18 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,320 But as he's preparing them, he's letting them know that they're 19 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,360 not quite ready to receive everything yet, but they will 20 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,760 later. But the point is also is that he 21 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:02,280 wants them to understand. Now I might be leaving you in a 22 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,200 physical body, but after I leave, you're not going to be 23 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,880 orphans, but you are going to have the Holy Spirit and the 24 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,280 Holy Spirit of course, will guide you into all truth. 25 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,960 And through the Holy Spirit I will still communicate with you. 26 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,280 But the first thing I want to take note of is he says there's 27 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,920 things for you that you're not ready for it. 28 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:24,520 Now to me, this Scripture is so significant because as a person 29 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:28,920 who loves world history and as a person who loves church history, 30 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,840 then of course, one who spends their whole life reading the 31 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,360 Bible and ministering from it. One thing I've observed about 32 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,200 God and that is he created us in the very beginning. 33 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:43,480 He had an eternal purpose for us, and that purpose has been 34 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:48,400 unfolding over the generations. Now, the reason it has to unfold 35 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,440 is because there's a process of growth that was necessary in 36 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:56,680 human civilization to be able to fully receive everything that 37 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,920 God had for them, or for us, I should say. 38 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:04,560 And so God works in us, in our character and in our person, in 39 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:09,479 civilizations and society, all to bring to pass His perfect 40 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,480 work. Now when you go through times of 41 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,880 fast-paced change, which is really the time frame we're in 42 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,680 right now with the advent of AI and just all kinds of different 43 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:23,040 things happening, we're going through a time of great change. 44 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,280 And to be easy to get all upset about the changes and upset and 45 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,560 wonder what are we going to do? Especially when you get my age, 46 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,560 when you see some changes, you think, well, how is this going 47 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:34,680 to work? Because you remember how it 48 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,160 always was. It's changing now. 49 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:41,440 So it's easy to get a mentality like where is this going and get 50 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:43,400 the idea that is not going so well. 51 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,840 But I believe that God is the God of history and it is his 52 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,400 story. And because of that, whatever is 53 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,760 happening in the world, I don't want to get upset by what I see 54 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,080 in the natural, but I want to be a person of prayer so I can say 55 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,320 God. I know that there's all things 56 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,080 happening in the world, all kinds of things happening in the 57 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,240 world. And well, some of them, they're 58 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,200 not going to be so good, I know. But since you are the God of 59 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,680 history, I also know that I should be looking for the good 60 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:11,920 in this. And what is it that you're going 61 00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:14,880 to bring to pass through your church and through your purpose 62 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:17,920 in every single one of us? And I believe it's also 63 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:20,400 important that we would understand as human beings that 64 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,720 each and every one of us goes through a development process. 65 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,200 And as we go through life's development process, we should 66 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:31,880 also see that God is with us and there's more available as we 67 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:36,760 mature in the natural and God sees us ready for something more 68 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,040 in the spiritual. So there is this working 69 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:41,360 together of the natural and the spiritual. 70 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:44,760 That's why God's doing something so amazing today. 71 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,200 We've got to have our ears open and our hearts open and say, OK, 72 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,400 God, we're ready for something now we were never ready for 73 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,400 before. Can you say Amen to that church? 74 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:56,320 What an exciting time to be alive. 75 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,680 So there is this process, but we always have to remember that the 76 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,400 Holy Spirit has been given as our guide. 77 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,960 And so the Holy Spirit teaches us, the Holy Spirit speaks to us 78 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,240 so that we can communicate with God. 79 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,400 Now, one of the things that you read in the Scriptures is that 80 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,920 God has always been a God who communicates with His people. 81 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,920 We know He communicates to us through the scriptures, but we 82 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,520 also have to understand that God communicates with each and every 83 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,760 one of us individually. That's why Jesus said my sheep 84 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,640 know my voice and another they will not follow. 85 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,720 We should all recognize that God wants to speak to us 86 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,280 individually. When we first come to the Lord, 87 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:37,280 often times it's the worst circumstance or situation in our 88 00:04:37,280 --> 00:04:41,080 lives and we think about it as being in the situations. 89 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,120 But we have to understand that God uses situations to advance 90 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,160 us in life, in our spirit spiritual realm, but he also 91 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,760 wants us to know that he wants to communicate with us. 92 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,320 So we're not just kind of getting pushed around by our 93 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,720 circumstances, but in the midst of all that realizing, hey, God 94 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:58,760 wants to speak to us. He's our guy. 95 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,960 So in the Garden of Eden, the Bible says that the voice of God 96 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,240 walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the garden or the cool 97 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,440 of the evening. You know, later on, God came as 98 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,280 the Angel of the Lord. That's how he met Moses in the 99 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:13,440 burning Bush. He communicated with him. 100 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,120 Later on, the ministry of the prophet began to grow. 101 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,880 And so God uses prophetic people to hear His voice. 102 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,240 We have a special ability to hear and are able to communicate 103 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,800 that with us. And so of course, when Jesus 104 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,440 Christ came, that was God in bodily form coming to 105 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,200 communicate with us. But now we have to understand 106 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:37,200 the purpose of the Holy Spirit is for communication. 107 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:41,440 You can hear the voice of God if you won't let yourself do that. 108 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:45,360 And there's never been a time more important that we're tuned 109 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,680 into God than in this time of great transition and change. 110 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,520 Now, having said that, I want to go the reference today from John 111 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,240 15. Jesus said greater love has no 112 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,360 one than this, that he lay down one's life for his friends. 113 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,960 You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. 114 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,280 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not 115 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:09,200 know what his master is doing. But I've called you friends. 116 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:13,160 We're all things that I heard from my Father I have made known 117 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,720 to you. Now two weeks ago we celebrated 118 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,200 Easter season and that culminated Holy Week where we 119 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,000 commemorated Jesus Christ going in Jerusalem, dying on the 120 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,600 cross. And I'll be glad we can say he 121 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:28,440 rose from the dead. Amen. 122 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,080 Amen. Now, before he did that, he 123 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:37,080 wanted his friends to know that there was a sacrifice he was 124 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:38,800 making. And he said, why don't you think 125 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,880 about this? There's no greater sacrifice 126 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,480 than a person could do but to lay down their life for their 127 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:48,040 friends. And he was, of course, speaking 128 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,600 that to the disciples. But I believe we should also 129 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,600 understand, of course, because it's in Scripture, it's also to 130 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:55,920 us. God said, do you know, there's 131 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,880 no greater love that someone could have than a man lay down 132 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:02,360 his life for his friends? And that's what I'm saying to 133 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,960 you. The Easter sacrifice was God 134 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:09,000 laying down his life for you. And one of the things important 135 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:12,640 to understand is he wants us to see that we can be the very 136 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,160 friends of God. Now that's important to 137 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,960 understand because in this I believe with all my heart, God 138 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:21,520 is saying to the body of Christ, it's a time of a new 139 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,400 relationship. And so each and everyone of us 140 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:28,480 as individuals, God says, I want to take you to a higher place in 141 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:32,080 my relationship with you. Wherever you have been up to 142 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,440 this point, set it in your heart. 143 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:38,040 God wants to take me higher. God wants to take me farther. 144 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,400 And this is an invitation. I believe that God wants each 145 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,320 and everyone of us to open up our minds and our hearts too, in 146 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,280 order that we might walk in this new relationship with Him. 147 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:52,960 Now He said to them that, well, I want you to be my friends, and 148 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:56,200 that's possible if you do whatsoever I have commanded you 149 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:59,600 because He first addressed them as servants. 150 00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:02,120 Now, this is important to understand because there are 151 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,320 progressions to our relationship with God and of the next 152 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:07,320 Scripture I'll bring out about Moses. 153 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,080 But I want to first of all say how that when we first come to 154 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:14,520 the Lord, we come as the servant and then we should develop a 155 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,080 stewardship. That's what Ashley spoke about 156 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:20,800 last week, and it's so powerful to understand how that works. 157 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:23,760 Now with God, he builds line upon line. 158 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,880 So that doesn't mean that we start as a servant, then we 159 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:30,080 graduate to being a steward because God wants to lay the 160 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:33,480 foundation on our hearts. So we're always servants. 161 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:37,840 But then as we progress, he gives us more responsibility and 162 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:40,159 develops more of a relationship with us. 163 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,440 And so our goal should be that we would grow from being a 164 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:47,440 servant to being a steward. And then the invitation he has 165 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,520 for them now because they've been his servants and because 166 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,040 they've been responsible in their stewardship. 167 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:57,400 If you would now he's saying, I want you to become my friends. 168 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:00,680 You must, must recognize I didn't just die so you could 169 00:09:00,680 --> 00:09:03,920 have forgiveness, a sin. I didn't just die so that you 170 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,520 could be reconciled to God. That's certainly a part of it. 171 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,280 And I didn't just call you so that you could serve me. 172 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:13,800 I want a relationship with you and that's what I see happening 173 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,200 in our world today. There really is a cry out there 174 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:21,240 for relationship oriented living both with each other. 175 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,880 And there's more of an emphasis that even in the business world, 176 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,640 people are beginning to realize there has to be a lot of change 177 00:09:27,680 --> 00:09:31,600 and focus because we can't just treat our employees as servants. 178 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,560 We have to give them the responsibilities that can come 179 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:37,800 with the development of stewardship in their life. 180 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,720 But then there's also a place where they have the sense of 181 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:45,120 community and being a part of it because ultimately people want 182 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:49,160 to have a relationship. And this is a very vital part of 183 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:52,040 our human experience. And that's certainly why God has 184 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,600 included it. Look at this story of Moses, 185 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,760 Numbers chapter 12. It says, then he said, hear now 186 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,520 my words. If there is a prophet among you, 187 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:03,000 I, the Lord, make myself known to him in a vision. 188 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:08,040 I speak to him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. 189 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:12,480 He is faithful in all my house. I speak to him face to face, 190 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,760 even plainly, not in dark Saints. 191 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,720 He sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to 192 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,680 speak against my servant Moses? Now, I want to talk a little bit 193 00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:24,560 about the setting of this, but I first of all want you to notice. 194 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,200 Obviously it's His servant Moses. 195 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:30,760 But then he talks about him being faithful and that's what 196 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:35,280 stewardship is when you serve the Lord or you have a job and 197 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,080 you do a good job in that, that stewardship, that's saying I'm 198 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:40,800 going to take responsibility with what has been put in my 199 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,720 hands. And once you move past that, 200 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,480 which is what Moses did. He started out as a servant of 201 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:49,280 the Lord. He got he met God at the burning 202 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:50,880 Bush. God said, I want you to go to 203 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,080 Egypt and when you get to Egypt, I have a job for you to do. 204 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,960 And it progressed where he was faithful. 205 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,800 But then the Bible talks about something greater that he has 206 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:05,600 because he said I speak with him face to face, even plainly and 207 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:09,440 not in dark sayings. He sees the form of the Lord. 208 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:13,680 Why then were you not afraid against, to speak against my 209 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:16,320 servant Moses? So what he's saying here is you 210 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,240 got to look at this relationship that I have with Moses because 211 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:24,680 ultimately he has a place in relationship with me that sets 212 00:11:24,680 --> 00:11:27,240 him apart. Now again, I want to remind you 213 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:31,720 of the story here because in Numbers chapter 12, Moses and 214 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:37,320 Aaron and Moses, excuse me, Moses, Aaron and their sister 215 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:42,560 Miriam are all working together in their ministry to the Lord. 216 00:11:42,560 --> 00:11:45,440 All been a part of delivering the children of Israel out of 217 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,720 Egypt to do the things that God wanted them to do. 218 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,560 In Numbers chapter 12, the Bible tells us that Moses takes an 219 00:11:52,560 --> 00:11:57,080 Ethiopian woman to be his wife. And obviously understanding how 220 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:00,360 the Jews felt themselves to be God's special people, you can 221 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,400 certainly find out where they felt they had something to 222 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:04,880 complain about when they're like, what are you doing? 223 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:07,360 Why are you with this Ethiopian woman? 224 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:10,920 And they're fighting with him. And then a voice comes from 225 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,200 heaven. What are you doing fighting with 226 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,000 Moses? I don't know what you, but 227 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:20,160 that'd be pretty cool. I've joked about this with my 228 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:24,000 sister Ella Sherry several years ago because my brother Bill and 229 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,720 my sister Jeannie always worked with us in the ministry from the 230 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:29,160 very beginning. And so it would be kind of like 231 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,200 the same story. And it'd be kind of interesting 232 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:36,480 if they started confronting me about a situation and God spoke 233 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:38,840 out of heaven and said, hey, that's Lauren you're talking to. 234 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:44,440 That's why when I read the Bible stories when I was a kid, you 235 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,880 know, a lot of kids have superheroes as the person that 236 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:51,800 they follow in life, and Marvel Comics has created all kinds of 237 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,160 them, especially more now than ever before. 238 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:58,080 But when I was a kid in Sunday school, my superheroes were the 239 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,160 people in the Bible. And what I love about my 240 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:06,280 superheroes, which is Moses and Abraham and all the other great 241 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:08,520 power tracks. David, I'll be talking about him 242 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:12,560 in just a little while. Not only were they superheroes 243 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:16,680 with superpower, God says He wants us not just to look at 244 00:13:16,680 --> 00:13:19,960 what they can do, but recognize, hey, you're not going to just 245 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,920 put on the costume. You can have a superpower too. 246 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:26,360 Amen. You can follow God and become 247 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:31,200 something that is above the natural call that you have in 248 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:32,840 life. Because when we empower 249 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:35,400 ourselves by the power of the Holy Spirit, how do you know 250 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:39,000 that's when we begin to walk in the supernatural power of God? 251 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,120 And so God intervenes in this situation and says, what are you 252 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:46,120 doing talking about my servant Moses this way? 253 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,240 And the reason I say he became a friend? 254 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:54,000 Because if you read in Exodus chapter 33, the Bible says there 255 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,520 that Moses spoke to God face to face as a man does a friend. 256 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,920 And that's really what God is saying here. 257 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:03,640 Moses isn't just a servant. He isn't just good in his 258 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,040 responsibility, but he grew in his relationship with me. 259 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,600 And there are people who have prophetic gifts and they can 260 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:12,520 hear words and they can have visions. 261 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,640 But Moses is different because he knows who I really am. 262 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,920 The Bible says when a person prophecies or has knowledge, 263 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:22,840 it's always in part that which is perfect. 264 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:25,640 Just come. When that comes, all the in part 265 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:28,760 will be done away with them. What God's saying is as you grow 266 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:32,960 in your relationship with God, it adds a whole new dimension to 267 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,320 your knowledge, whole new dimension to your spiritual 268 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:38,040 gift. And that's what God was saying 269 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,840 about Moses. Moses isn't just your ordinary 270 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:45,000 guy and he isn't just the leader of this tribe or of this 271 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,080 country. He's a person who has a personal 272 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,640 connection with me, says the Lord. 273 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,000 And I truly believe with all my heart that God's people need to 274 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,800 know he hears from heaven. Whatever's going on in your 275 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:00,560 life, how do you know God hears? And God wants to be involved in 276 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:04,200 our life, in our situation, and he wants us to recognize. 277 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:07,880 He wants to be a part, but also to recognize how important it is 278 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:10,600 for us to do our part, if you would, so we can walk in the 279 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:14,160 fullness of what he has for us. Jesus goes on to say in our 280 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:19,240 reading today, as the Father loved me, I also have loved you 281 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:23,280 abided by law. If you keep my commandments, you 282 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,600 will abide in my love, just as I kept my Father's commandments 283 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:30,120 and abide in his love. And so it's important for us to 284 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:35,120 recognize that in every relationship there is a pursuer. 285 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:39,280 If it's a romantic relationship, one person is going to look at 286 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,080 the other and you're going to say, you know what, I want this 287 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,280 relationship, so you pursue it and something comes out of the 288 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:47,720 relationship. That can be true of a romantic 289 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,280 relationship. That can be true of a friendship 290 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,320 or just someone who's an acquaintance that you want to be 291 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:56,080 a part of your life. It's going to usually be a 292 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:58,440 pursuer. It's not like you might see in 293 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:00,920 some movie where two people look at each other and all the sudden 294 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:06,800 we belong together in our relationship with God. 295 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:08,720 He's the pursuer. Isn't that amazing? 296 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:12,800 God looked down at you and said, I want to have a relationship 297 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:16,240 with him. I want them to be a part of what 298 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,680 I'm doing in the earth. I want them to realize that I 299 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:21,480 don't want them to walk alone in life. 300 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:25,800 I want to walk right along beside them, says the Heavenly 301 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:29,160 Father. How much different would that 302 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,040 change our thinking about our relationship with God if we 303 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:36,000 would always remember? We didn't pursue him, He pursued 304 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:38,760 us. He's the one who first of all 305 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:42,960 said we're his. He wants a relationship with us. 306 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:45,880 So sometimes people go through life and think, well, I don't 307 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:47,280 know if I can be a good Christian. 308 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:48,920 Oh, I don't know if I could do this for God. 309 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:51,960 Oh, I don't know if that fits me like it does other people. 310 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:56,600 God says, wait a second, if I pursued you and I chose you, 311 00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:00,480 you're mine, Hallelujah. And you need to know something. 312 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:05,720 It's possible you were uniquely formed for my purpose. 313 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:07,359 You might not be like anybody else. 314 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,359 That might be different than somebody else who has been 315 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:13,200 called, but God wants you to know I pursued you. 316 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,880 And so with that, you need to understand that I'm calling you 317 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:19,640 to a deeper relationship, says the Lord. 318 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:23,440 Now put up there with expectations because he goes on 319 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:26,599 to talk about, well, you can be my friends if you do whatsoever 320 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,920 I have told you. Now, that might not seem like 321 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:31,720 the kind of friend that you would want. 322 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,680 Who's saying to you, well, I want you to be my friend. 323 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:38,200 If you do everything you're told, you'll be my friend. 324 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:40,800 I mean, does that make you think I don't want to be your friend? 325 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,240 But looking at this from the context of how God deals with 326 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:49,040 us, he's talking about the fact that there is a development of a 327 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:52,920 relationship and every relationship starts with a 328 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,720 certain level of expectation. You don't just enter into a 329 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:00,680 relationship because, well, this could be fun you under that 330 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,680 relationship because there's something that you're needing 331 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,600 out of that relationship or something that you want from 332 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:11,680 that relationship. So in reality, all relationships 333 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:14,120 start with a certain level expectation. 334 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,960 And the creative and artistic world, they like to talk a lot 335 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:21,360 about people falling in love. And there is a place where we 336 00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:24,400 feel that attraction towards another person, no question 337 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:27,080 about it. But we also have to understand 338 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:30,320 that when people are getting together in a relationship, how 339 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,200 many know you're expecting something? 340 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:39,200 Come on, be honest with me here. But also you have to realize, 341 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:43,200 hey, the other person has expectations, too, and what we 342 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:45,560 have to do is kind of figure out what that's all about. 343 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,080 In the old days, it was more common for people to recognize 344 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:51,960 that even with marriage, the woman would be looking for a 345 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:53,920 good provider, protector, whatever. 346 00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:58,640 And so every relationship had certain things that people felt 347 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:00,960 would be a part of that. There's a certain level of 348 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:04,560 transactional relationship that we have where we have an 349 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:08,080 expectation. That's not a bad thing, but it 350 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:10,000 just has to grow. Amen. 351 00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:12,480 And that's what God says concerning us. 352 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,840 So I don't want you to stay at that first level, says the Lord. 353 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,160 I want you to come up to this higher place where you begin to 354 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:24,560 realize I have a relationship with the Almighty God. 355 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:30,520 How amazing is that? When you look at the world and 356 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,320 you look at how vast it is, and then you look at our universe 357 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,920 and then you look beyond that and there's other universes and 358 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:38,240 galaxies and all the things I came and think about how they 359 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:42,720 name them, but they're billions of light years in vastness of 360 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,200 our universe. Gods of the God of all those, 361 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:51,480 and yet he came into your life. What a privilege it is to know 362 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:56,280 him, Amen, and to recognize that he wants to have a relationship 363 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:58,520 with us. And so the fact that his 364 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:04,160 expectations shouldn't trouble us, but God wants us to be his 365 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,080 friend. Now, sometimes we think, well, I 366 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,760 want God to be my friend. There used to be a song I used 367 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:12,320 to love. What a friend we have in Jesus. 368 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:16,440 Our sins and grease to bear. What a privilege to carry 369 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,760 everything to God in prayer. And God says, well, keep singing 370 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,240 that song, but remember, I'm expecting something from you 371 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:26,040 too. And it's of a relationship, not 372 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:29,760 just of a service that I'm calling you to, says the Lord, 373 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:34,400 because I want to be your friend and I want you to be my friend. 374 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,760 You know, Moses was called the friend of God, Abraham was 375 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:41,280 called the friend of God. And Jesus says to us, I want you 376 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,280 to be my friend. That's awesome, isn't it, 377 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:45,600 church? And that's why we have to accept 378 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,840 the calling that he has for us at this time. 379 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:52,080 Which brings me to this man David, who's another superhero 380 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:56,480 of the Bible. So was when they came, Samuel 381 00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:00,120 the prophet looks at Eliab and said, surely the Lord's anointed 382 00:21:00,120 --> 00:21:03,320 is before him. But the Lord said to Samuel, do 383 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:07,120 not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I 384 00:21:07,120 --> 00:21:09,440 have refused him. For the Lord does not see his 385 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:12,160 man sees. For man looks at the outward 386 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:14,360 appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 387 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,160 Again, this is another story with a setting. 388 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:21,560 Samuel was a prophet of God who had spoken concerning Saul. 389 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:25,200 The very first king said, this is God's anointed, I'm going to 390 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,080 make him king, says the Lord, and he became the king. 391 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:32,040 Unfortunately, because Saul was disobedient to God and did not 392 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,040 accept his responsibility, there came a time when God said, well, 393 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,520 it's time to replace him. Samuel, we got to have somebody 394 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:41,840 else go to the House of Jesse, and when you get there, I'm 395 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:44,080 going to show you because my anointed's going to be in that 396 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:46,080 house. That verse says that when he 397 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:50,000 first came to the room, he saw Eliab, who in a physical sense 398 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,480 had everything. You would expect a king to be 399 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:56,280 tall. The Bible says Saul was so tall 400 00:21:56,280 --> 00:22:00,320 that he was head and shoulders above everybody else and he just 401 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:03,320 had that statue look at him and say, wow, great leader. 402 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,720 God said, no, that's not it. I put up here, what are you 403 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:09,560 thinking? Has everybody, anybody ever 404 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:13,120 known somebody, a family member, friend, they tell you they're 405 00:22:13,120 --> 00:22:15,360 going to have a relationship with somebody and you think, 406 00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:21,240 what are you thinking? Come on, what are you thinking 407 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:22,800 that that's not going to work for you? 408 00:22:24,120 --> 00:22:26,320 Well, what are they thinking? Well, they're thinking they 409 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:28,480 don't look at things the same way you do. 410 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:30,800 So Sam, you could have said that to God. 411 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:33,000 God, what are you thinking? The lion's perfect. 412 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,600 No, I don't go by outward appearance. 413 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:39,000 I'm looking for somebody who has the right heart. 414 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:41,160 And that's what the Bible says about David. 415 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,360 He was a man after God's own heart. 416 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,640 And that's why often times people might pick out somebody 417 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,120 that everybody else says, what are you doing that couldn't be 418 00:22:50,120 --> 00:22:53,360 the person for you? Well, because there's something 419 00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:56,560 perhaps you know about the person other people don't know, 420 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,080 something that meets your needs that other people don't 421 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:00,840 recognize. So that's what makes the 422 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,960 difference. Unfortunately, can also be true 423 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,680 that you think they're going to be the person you're looking for 424 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,040 and they're not going to be. That's why we should always be 425 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:09,920 careful. Amen. 426 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:15,200 But the point is, is everything in a relationship always boils 427 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:19,120 down to the heart, and that's the relationship God has had for 428 00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:21,920 us from the very beginning. Jesus said you have to 429 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:23,920 understand something. All the some of the law and the 430 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,880 prophets was love the Lord your God with all your heart and your 431 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:30,480 neighbor as yourself. That's what God's looking for. 432 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:32,520 It's what he's always been looking for. 433 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:35,760 Can we take a step into that reality? 434 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:39,360 Look what David wrote here in his Psalm. 435 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:43,000 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall 436 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,040 abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 437 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,960 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, my fortress, my God. 438 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:52,800 In him I will trust surely He shall deliver you from the snare 439 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,760 of the Fowler and from the perilous pestilence. 440 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,440 He shall cover you with his feathers, and under His wings 441 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,560 you shall take refuge. His truth should be your shield 442 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:04,960 and buckler. The secret place. 443 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,680 That's such an important term for us to realize in our 444 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:12,760 relationship with God. The secret place is the personal 445 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:16,640 place in a relationship. We all have secret places, if 446 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,960 you would. When you get married, obviously 447 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:22,240 there's a secret relationship that you have that you're not 448 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,280 going to have with anybody else. And it's also true when we have 449 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:28,720 close friends, there's a certain aspect of our relationship that 450 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:31,920 would be unique to that place or person. 451 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,960 God says each and every one of us need to have a secret place 452 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:39,320 with Him, something I tell pastors from time to time. 453 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:44,240 Now remember, our vocation is praying and reading the Bible, 454 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:46,480 but that's not your secret place. 455 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,520 We all have to have a personal relationship with God. 456 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:54,200 I pray for you, I study for you, I get a word for you, but I also 457 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:59,720 go to God for myself. Jesus, here I am again. 458 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:04,200 I kind of like this walk I have with you, Lord. 459 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:07,960 Sometimes it's challenging, sometimes it's quite different. 460 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:12,920 But one thing I love about you, Jesus, is you're always with me. 461 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:15,720 Isn't it exciting to be a Christian Church? 462 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:19,720 It's such an important thing. But if you want to have a 463 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,720 relationship, you have to understand the need for the 464 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:26,880 secret place. And it's in the secret place 465 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:28,920 that there's benefits, if you would. 466 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:32,680 What that scripture says is he that dwells in the secret place 467 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:36,440 of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the 468 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:38,920 Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He's my 469 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,520 refuge. He is my help, He is my 470 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,040 strength. The pitcher there is kind of 471 00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:48,280 like an eagle who has great power and soars above the 472 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:50,760 heavens and goes down and gets its prey. 473 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:54,400 But when it comes to its nest and protects its young, there's 474 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:59,560 a place of security and also a place of comfort under those 475 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,520 wings. And God says, you need to know 476 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:04,320 something. I can take care of you at all 477 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:07,520 times. Sometimes people say, well, I 478 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,680 know that God's always there. God's going to take care of me. 479 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:14,000 Well, the beautiful thing about the Holy Spirit is God can give 480 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,840 you the feeling that he is going to take care of you. 481 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:19,560 Amen. He can give us the feeling of 482 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:21,840 comfort. He can give us the feeling that 483 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:26,320 we are dwelling in the secret place under the shadow of His 484 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:31,320 wings and walking in the comfort that He always has for us as we 485 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:34,080 walk with Him. That's why Jesus goes on to say 486 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,720 again, You did not choose me, but I chose you. 487 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,920 And what appointed you? That you should go and bear 488 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:42,000 fruit and that your fruit should remain. 489 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:46,400 That whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give you. 490 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,680 In this verse he talks about him choosing us first, but he also 491 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,760 says I chose you and appointed you. 492 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:59,640 That means He has a purpose for your life that's not just about 493 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,920 you and isn't just about your natural life. 494 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:07,320 God has a purpose for you. Inside of every single one of us 495 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:11,240 is a desire to fulfill purpose because the Godfather has put 496 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:14,040 that in US. One thing I've always observed 497 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:17,000 and the many years of being a pastor and walking in things of 498 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:20,920 God and someone passes away. People like to kind of go 499 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,040 through and talk about the person's life and think about 500 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,080 their purpose. Or if there is a loss of 501 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:28,480 somebody, you want to know, is there a greater purpose? 502 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:32,200 Because something inside of us tells us if there's a purpose in 503 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,240 this, everything's going to be OK. 504 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:40,360 God says I've chosen you, I've appointed you because there's a 505 00:27:40,360 --> 00:27:44,440 purpose for your life and I want to be a part of your purpose. 506 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,400 And what I love about this is then he talks about authority 507 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:53,120 that we can have in prayer, that whatever we ask in his name, it 508 00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:56,720 will be given to us. In the charismatic movement, we 509 00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:59,960 had a lot of teachers who talked about the authority of the 510 00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:03,760 believer, and they would use a scripture like ask anything of 511 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:05,320 my name. It shall be done. 512 00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:09,120 And a lot of people grabbed that verse and thought, well now I'm 513 00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:12,920 in control. How many would like the magic 514 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:18,280 words to be in Jesus name? So whatever I want in Jesus 515 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:21,240 name. Well, there's a certain level of 516 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,960 authority God can't give to us until we grow up. 517 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,280 It's so important that we'd recognize that just like in a 518 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:34,200 family, we raise our children to become mature where they can 519 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:36,400 make their own decision. So God says, I want you to 520 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:39,800 become mature and what I have for you to do. 521 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:42,480 I remember these friends of mine, they were telling the 522 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:46,040 story about their little boy. He was a preacher's son and he 523 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:47,960 went to church and his dad was preaching. 524 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,560 Ask anything in the name of Jesus and it will be given to 525 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:54,960 you. Well, that afternoon he got in 526 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:56,600 trouble. His father is about ready to 527 00:28:56,600 --> 00:29:00,360 discipline him. He said in Jesus name, stop. 528 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:05,280 That's like a lot of Christians, Amen. 529 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:09,000 Lord said no, there's going to be authority with maturity. 530 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:13,360 These things I've spoken to you that my joy might may remain in 531 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,880 you and that your joy may be full. 532 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,560 Wow, that's building on the joy isn't it? 533 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:22,120 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved 534 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,360 you. Greater love has no one than 535 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,120 this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 536 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:31,040 You are my friends. If you do whatever, I commend 537 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:32,840 you. There He is bringing back this 538 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:36,480 reminder, but he talks about joy. 539 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:38,920 How many? No, joy is a good thing. 540 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:43,360 Now, when we first come to the Lord, most people can relate to 541 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,440 the fact that there's a joy that came upon you when you received 542 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:49,120 Him or when you were baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. 543 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:51,920 There's something about God that brings joy. 544 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,400 We have to understand that we got to hold on to that joy. 545 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,760 So Jesus is telling us the prescription, if you would, is 546 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:03,360 how that not only can we hold on to our joy, but our joy can 547 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:07,680 actually grow and increase. That's amazing. 548 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:10,720 Joy in the Lord doesn't have to get stale. 549 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:15,600 Church, this Tuesday I'll be celebrating the 32nd anniversary 550 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:23,160 of my 40th birthday party. Anyway, and I think about how 551 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:26,000 about how long I've been walking with Jesus and how long I've 552 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:28,720 been serving the ministry. I tell you, I'm more filled with 553 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,840 expectation today than at any time of my life. 554 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:34,800 Amen. Because I know God is going to 555 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:38,800 do something that's exceedingly and abundantly above all that I 556 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,640 can ask or think. Now my body doesn't always feel 557 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:47,600 that way, but I do keep the joy. Not only keep the joy, but let 558 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,600 the joy grow so that you can come to the place of fullness of 559 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:51,320 joy. Amen. 560 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,760 Church, how powerful is that? Jesus said I'm the true vine. 561 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,920 My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch of me that does not 562 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:01,240 bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He 563 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:03,520 prunes that it may bear more fruit. 564 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:07,280 You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to 565 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:09,400 you. Abide in me, and I and you, as 566 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:12,680 the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the 567 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:15,960 vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 568 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:20,200 In order for us to have this best that God has for us, it has 569 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:24,080 to be a working relationship and it requires some management. 570 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:27,920 This is why Jesus is saying, OK, I'm the vine, you are the 571 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:29,840 branches. And there's a Father who's 572 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,400 overlooking all these things. And as he looks over it, 573 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,000 sometimes he sees a branch that needs to be cut off. 574 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:39,160 Sometimes he sees a branch that needs to be cut back. 575 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:40,680 But there's a management involved. 576 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:44,040 Sometimes life cuts off our branches. 577 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:47,040 Sometimes we suffer loss. We don't want to. 578 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:50,160 But as a Christian, we have to say, well, in the end, I'm going 579 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:53,120 to put my confidence in God. He's my manager. 580 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,320 He knows what he's doing, a man. And sometimes we go through a 581 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:58,760 pruning, which is mean a cutting back of something. 582 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:02,400 In all of these things, we are to have a confidence that God 583 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:06,440 has carefully crafted our life and he's carefully crafting our 584 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,760 life even now as we put our confidence fully in him. 585 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,960 Amen Church and that's what I love when he says you're already 586 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:16,200 clean, so he's saying now keep in mind I've already did the 587 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:19,200 part of the forgiveness. You're already prepared for 588 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:23,720 where I'm taking you now. Just have faith to believe that 589 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:29,560 you're ready to move because why God has made you ready as the 590 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,240 Father loved me, I also have loved you. 591 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,920 Abide in My love. If you keep my commandments, you 592 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:38,720 will abide in my love. Just have kept my Father's 593 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,120 commandments and abide in his love. 594 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:45,640 These things I command you that you what love one another. 595 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:49,960 Another key to this relationship is extended love. 596 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,640 That's why I went a couple get married. 597 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:58,160 After that comes children and then you learn that well, love 598 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:00,560 has to be extended beyond myself. 599 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:04,080 It isn't just about the union, it's about the children, It's 600 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:07,920 about our business, it's about our call, as many different 601 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:10,080 aspects to it, but that'd be a whole new sermon. 602 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:15,880 But just remember, God says, be willing to extend your love and 603 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:20,000 begin to extend yourself so that you can have the fullness of all 604 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:22,040 that I have for you, says the Lord. 605 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:25,760 This is Pastor Lauren Corbubius from Mount Zion Church. 606 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,720 We thank you for joining us today and invite you to connect 607 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:32,360 with our church family by visiting mountzion.org and 608 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:34,960 following us on social media. God bless you.