1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,440 Well, I'm excited to be here with you. 2 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:04,280 It goes without saying in Ephesians chapter 2, verses one 3 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:08,520 through three, our first call, it says, And you were made alive 4 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:11,720 who were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked, 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,440 according to the course of this world, according to the Prince 6 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:17,120 of the power of the air, the Spirit, who now works in the 7 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,760 sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted 8 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,800 ourselves in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of 9 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,520 the flesh and of the mind. And we're by nature children of 10 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:32,400 wrath, just as the others. So important for us to recognize 11 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,920 that at some point we were all dead in our sins and trespasses. 12 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,400 We were all lost. And God called us. 13 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,480 He reached out to you. He made you alive. 14 00:00:41,480 --> 00:00:45,160 Amen. I love in the baptism today and 15 00:00:45,160 --> 00:00:47,360 what I love about doing baptism on Sunday morning, it's such a 16 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:50,160 reminder for us that it's a cutting away of the old nature 17 00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:53,720 of sin, that you'd be dead to sin, but alive under God and 18 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,400 covenant relationship with Him. Isn't that powerful? 19 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,160 God has called us to be in covenant with him that we would 20 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,840 operate in the fullness of his his potential and that there'd 21 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,080 be a separating from our old way to the new way. 22 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:07,480 Dead people can't help themselves. 23 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:09,960 Amen. We got to remind ourselves that 24 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,840 you didn't help you, you didn't get you to where you are. 25 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,000 The Lord set his affections on you. 26 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,160 He called you forth and, and he reached out to you and said, 27 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:21,160 this is my, my one that I've, I've chosen my beloved and I, I 28 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:22,400 think it's such a powerful thing. 29 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,480 And Sunday or, or Friday morning when I was on my run, I was just 30 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:27,640 to overcome with it. Really. 31 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:29,960 I didn't know exactly what I was going to be talking about today. 32 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:32,760 I hadn't hashed it all out. I had ideas bouncing around my 33 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,120 head. And as I first started my run 34 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,440 and got to the top of our subdivision and the sidewalks 35 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:39,080 are now clear. So I'm able to get out of just 36 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,160 doing loops. And as I was out there just 37 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,360 running, I, I was ever so mindful. 38 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,080 God called me before the foundation of the world. 39 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:52,600 He said his affections on me, on us when you were dead in your 40 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,480 sins and your trespasses, when you were living in the in the 41 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,400 Prince of the power of the year, where you were a son of 42 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,880 disobedience for whatever reason, he called you and it 43 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,120 wasn't because he said, boy, that one's got potential. 44 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:05,760 He looked at you and said that one's a mess. 45 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,880 That was a basket case. That was a head case. 46 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:10,199 That was a this, that one's a that. 47 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,760 I called them because dead people can't help themselves. 48 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,680 And as I was running, I just kept this thought occurring and 49 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,920 I started worshiping the Lord and just reminded of the gift of 50 00:02:21,920 --> 00:02:25,640 life that we received. How precious is this gift that 51 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,680 the gift that woke us up, that literally pulled you out of 52 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,000 darkness. And I don't know if anyone does 53 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,840 this, but I listen to music. I love music. 54 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:42,000 It's a it's a favorite for me. And so I will find a song that I 55 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:50,520 love and I'll just play that song over and over and over and 56 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,280 over. So I'm driving a few of you can 57 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:55,560 relate to that. Others you're like, what is 58 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:57,400 wrong with this guy? There's a lot wrong with this 59 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,720 guy. So my brother was in the 60 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,920 hospital at Providence Hospital and, and Ashley, we have a 61 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:06,520 Thursday team meeting and she was sharing some songs with us 62 00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:11,080 and she shared this song with us in our in our team meeting and 63 00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:13,120 he's in the room is the name of the song. 64 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:14,840 You may or may not know what it's one that not one that we do 65 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:15,880 here. It's a gospel song. 66 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:17,800 And we always thought, man, we should do this song. 67 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:19,760 We should do this song, but we're, you know, the pieces 68 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:21,080 aren't in place for it to happen. 69 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,880 And so I literally left here to go see my brother and from here 70 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,240 to Providence Hospital in Novi, which is not quick drive. 71 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:33,600 I listen to that song on repeat the whole way there and then the 72 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,920 whole ride back and the whole time. 73 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,240 And, and I don't just like listen to music. 74 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:43,200 I mean, it's all the way up. I'm practically off the wheel. 75 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,720 My hands are in the air, tears are streaming down my face. 76 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,280 I'm shouting it out. And there's a part where this 77 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,200 woman comes in like the guy sings a song, like he'd sing it 78 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:53,680 in my tone. But then this woman comes in and 79 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,360 she pierces it and I'm like, sing in the hot. 80 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,280 No, it's with me, 'cause I'm in my car. 81 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:04,720 Am I the only one? Maybe I'm the only one all 82 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:09,960 right. But as I'm singing this song, 83 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:15,040 she says at one line. She says that when he fills the 84 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:20,079 room, everything that's dead comes to life again. 85 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:27,720 Church, you were dead in your sins, in your trespasses and the 86 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,760 light of Christ shone upon you and pulled you out of your 87 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,120 captivity and said it's time to go. 88 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:35,920 I've got something for you to do. 89 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,120 We've got to remind ourselves that first call and and in 90 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,920 Ephesians chapter 2, building on that, it says for by grace 91 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,400 you've been saved through faith, not of yourselves. 92 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:50,920 It's what it's what. It's a gift of God, not of 93 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,920 works, lest anyone should boast, for we are his workmanship 94 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,920 created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared 95 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,360 beforehand that we should walk in them. 96 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,280 God chose you. He extended this a credible 97 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:09,080 gift, a gift to believe. That's the gift of faith. 98 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,920 The gift of faith is the the gift to believe. 99 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,840 God chose you. And he, he isn't just looking 100 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:18,040 for a bunch of alive people. Yep, got another alive 1. 101 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:19,960 Got another alive one over there. 102 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:22,000 Look at all the alive ones I got. 103 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,400 He doesn't just want to make you alive, he wants to make you 104 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,800 alive, that you do something with this life that you've been 105 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:32,400 given. When I was 14 years old, I, I, 106 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:36,120 my parents, we were in a, in a traditional church and my 107 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,560 parents started visiting churches and at 14 years old, I 108 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:44,320 was born again. And there was this sweet woman. 109 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,360 She was a grandmother, She was an older woman, her missus 110 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,440 Sutherland to me. She would come up to me all the 111 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,560 time and just say and just, she would just prophesied over me 112 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:55,040 like every single time I saw her. 113 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:57,720 And I'm like, does this lady not know who I am? 114 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:02,160 Like none of these things can surely come to pass because 115 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:07,880 like, I got Sunday Jesus, but Monday Jesus, Friday Jesus, 116 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,280 definitely, in a way, Saturday Jesus, uh huh, we're waiting for 117 00:06:11,280 --> 00:06:13,400 Sunday, Sunday Jesus come back around. 118 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:17,720 And so I just was on this circle of my life, even at 14 and 15 119 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,080 and 16 years of age. And so I, I had this born again 120 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,520 experience. I, I remember getting bought or 121 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,640 baptized and everyone got filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke 122 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,320 in other tongues. But me, I didn't get that. 123 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,280 So I was like, well, gosh, is there something wrong with me? 124 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:32,240 And I, I remember praying with my mom and, and I got it. 125 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:33,360 I started speaking another tongue. 126 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,360 So it wasn't even like I was, you know, I wasn't spirit 127 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:40,880 filled, but I was caught in this battle, this battle that I had 128 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,760 this flesh part of me in this mind part of me. 129 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:47,160 And I was caught in this warring in my members. 130 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,320 When when Paul writes, he says there's this part that wills to 131 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,600 do the things I'm supposed to do in this part that doesn't want 132 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:54,520 to do those things. And I feel this battle going on. 133 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,160 To me, it's like enmity. And when I read that for the 134 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,240 first time, because at 1415 and 16, I didn't read the whole 135 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:00,800 Bible, didn't read the Bible at all. 136 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:04,640 But when I read that and I read about this enmity, this 137 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:08,440 grinding, I was like, oh, I know that. 138 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:14,440 Yes, I can relate to that. I needed an awakening. 139 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,680 I, I, I needed to stop sleepwalking. 140 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:22,120 See, for me, I thought church was just something that you did 141 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:28,160 to check a box went check, sang the songs. 142 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,240 Check. Put out my hands. 143 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:34,240 OK, you guys want to put out your hands. 144 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:38,200 OK, check. Do that, whatever those little 145 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:40,960 things were right, Just check, check, check, check, check. 146 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:46,280 I took care of all my Sunday responsibilities and the Lord 147 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,800 woke me up when I was in college, right when I was 148 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:52,320 graduating. He began to wake me up and said 149 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,720 there's more. And I was ignoring that voice as 150 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,160 much as I possibly could because I had a plan. 151 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,000 I had a plan. We're going to do it this way, 152 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,120 Jesus. And so I still had this battle 153 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,360 going on and the word, the Lord came. 154 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,560 I've been at Mount Zion literally last month for 33 155 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:16,040 years and Amen, Amen. I don't say that as if I did 156 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:17,680 that. It was what he called me to, and 157 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:19,200 He gave me the grace to operate that. 158 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:23,280 So I love that grace, but that grace was an awakening. 159 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:25,640 It woke me up. I came here and it was like 160 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,160 blinders were taken off. That church isn't a place that 161 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,040 you just go to check boxes. It's a place where you become to 162 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,360 be renewed in the spirit of your mind that you'd be transformed, 163 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:35,039 that you'd be empowered, that you would do the good things 164 00:08:35,039 --> 00:08:37,799 that God has called us to do. You can give the Lord a praise 165 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:40,480 on that because there's a purpose for our life. 166 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,440 There's a fulfillment that God has for every single one of us. 167 00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:46,520 And, and here's the news flash, and I don't know if it's a news 168 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,160 flash or not, but God didn't awaken you for a political 169 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,160 battle. Somehow we're all caught up in 170 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:53,400 the politics of things right now. 171 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:55,760 And I'm not saying we can't have some political vantage points 172 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,160 and viewpoints. I'm not, I'm not disgracing or 173 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,120 discarding anyone's political vantage points. 174 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:02,800 But we weren't born to be part of a political Kingdom. 175 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:04,800 We were born to be part of a eternal Kingdom. 176 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,440 And we've got to make sure that we understand what the Father is 177 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:10,920 doing in this hour and not just get caught up in these fights 178 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,480 because there is a purpose to what God is doing and there's a 179 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:15,560 there's a fulfillment that he's calling us to. 180 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:19,680 So Pastor Lauren shared this verse, Lisa shared this verse. 181 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,480 I love this verse. Ephesians chapter 5. 182 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:27,880 Therefore, take heed, awake you who sleep, arise from the dead 183 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:33,920 and Christ will give you light. Paul was literally dead in his 184 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,040 sins and trespasses. And this is the call. 185 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:37,840 He literally says, you guys need to do this. 186 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,080 He had to do this first. He walked in this first. 187 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:42,920 And he's now writing to all of us. 188 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:48,440 He's saying wake up, wake up. I hear it. 189 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,360 It's time to us to awake. Don't be drowsy in your seat. 190 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,120 Oh, it's Sunday and getting my word. 191 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:56,200 What's he talking about? Now? 192 00:09:56,560 --> 00:09:59,120 You got to wake ourselves. We got to get out of that drowsy 193 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,080 state. How many guys use an alarm clock 194 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:04,880 to get up this morning? Show of hands, anyone? 195 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:07,280 How many guys use an alarm clock to get up during the week? 196 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:10,320 So I'm a little different. I'm a little wired, a little 197 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,520 weird. I have soft wake ups. 198 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:15,760 So I have a soft wake up at like 4. 199 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:18,760 I have a soft wake up at like 5:30. 200 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:22,080 I have a soft wake up at about 6:15. 201 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:23,920 I'm just hitting the snooze button. 202 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:27,640 Some of you are like, man, that's a nightmare. 203 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,040 There's another nightmare. The nightmare where you're so 204 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:35,160 asleep and all of a sudden this now you're like, what is going 205 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,520 on? The house is what's heaven, All 206 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,120 right? It's my alarm, right? 207 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,640 My wife has two alarms and they go off 4 times. 208 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,280 It's just the differences. I'm not throwing her under the 209 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,120 bus. It's just our differences. 210 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:53,040 Alarm clocks, they come to, to get us out of our rest. 211 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:55,280 They come to get us out of our our sleepiness. 212 00:10:55,680 --> 00:10:58,480 And the Lord, he's, he's awakening us that we wouldn't be 213 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:00,680 sleepy anymore, that we'd wake up to these things. 214 00:11:00,680 --> 00:11:02,840 Now I didn't say I never use an alarm clock. 215 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:04,840 I just very rarely use an alarm clock. 216 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,080 I have clocks in my head that go off and I hit my own snooze 217 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:10,280 button. Now when I go up north, it's a 218 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,600 completely different vibe. We go on vacation with a bunch 219 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:15,520 of family and friends from the church here and us guys, we get 220 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:19,160 up to go fishing and we get up at 5:30 in the morning and we're 221 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:20,680 on the water at 6:00 in the morning. 222 00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:22,200 And if you fish, you know what I'm talking about. 223 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,400 If you don't fish, you're like, that does not sound like 224 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:26,160 vacation. That sounds like a nightmare 225 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,120 because we stay up till like 11/10/11, 12:00 at night. 226 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,120 And the, the place we stay in, it's not a luxury cabin. 227 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,720 It's more rustic than that. And so the mattresses creak. 228 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,920 And so my wife, she's party girl, she likes to stay up late. 229 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:40,960 Two different spectrums. The Lord brought us together. 230 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:46,400 He knows what he's doing. So I am asleep trying to sleep 231 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:48,960 in this rickety bed that's making all these crunchy noises 232 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,800 while you turn. And at about 1/30, 2:00 in the 233 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:55,720 morning, my gazelle of a wife tries to nimbly go over me as 234 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:58,880 she's crawling on top of me and the bed is creaking. 235 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:01,720 And so now I've just got a wake up call at like 1/30, 2:00 in 236 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,400 the morning and the alarm clock's going to go off. 237 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:08,280 I went to bed at too late, then the alarm clock goes off. 238 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:11,360 It's like what this happened to me. 239 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:13,600 How is it already time to get up? 240 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:16,640 How many guys have that when your alarm clock goes off in the 241 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:20,800 morning versus the soft snooze, right, we're all wired a little 242 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,360 differently. The Lord's calling us to wake up 243 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:28,320 and to arise. He's calling us to arise. 244 00:12:28,560 --> 00:12:32,840 So we can't not now. I'll I will tell you this not 245 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:36,360 I'm not better different. My wife, she gets up. 246 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:40,440 She's you know, so I like when I wake up and like doing soft 247 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,520 snoozes. The beds warm. 248 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:47,880 It's cozy, right? Like it's the perfect 249 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:49,680 temperature now. Like I got too hot in the middle 250 00:12:49,680 --> 00:12:52,200 of the night, got too cold when I first laid down, you know what 251 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:56,160 talking about? But right now it's just right. 252 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,960 So I'm all snuggled in and feeling good and I don't want to 253 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:07,520 get out of that bed. Sometimes we can be walking 254 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:09,280 through life and we don't want to get out of the things that 255 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:10,880 we're in. And the Lord is calling us to 256 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,040 arise to get out of them. That would embrace what He has 257 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:17,960 for us now. Paul's on the road to Damascus 258 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:24,080 and he has got letters in his hand from the leaders, the chief 259 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:27,400 priests that he can persecute. Any person that's of the way. 260 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:32,240 Anyone that's of Jesus, anyone that has received him and is 261 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:35,200 walking in him and sharing his message, He's got these letters 262 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,520 and anyone that he can find, he can round up and take him to 263 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:40,200 jail, to prison. And then whatever happens, he's 264 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:44,040 done his part. So on the road, he gets knocked 265 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,200 down and the bright light shines. 266 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,520 It shines upon him, and the bright light speaks to him. 267 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:55,280 And what does it say, Saul? Saul, why do you persecute me? 268 00:13:56,200 --> 00:14:00,960 Not my people, not my leaders. The things that you're doing 269 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:04,280 aren't about them. They're about me. 270 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:10,520 What are you doing at this time? He's also preparing a man in the 271 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:13,560 city that Paul's going towards. His name is Ananias. 272 00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:16,600 And on his way, Ananias is like, this guy's coming. 273 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:18,200 His name is Paul. You want me to talk to him? 274 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:20,640 He's got letters. He can literally persecute me. 275 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:23,920 He can put me in prison. And the Lord says to him, I want 276 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,560 you to talk to him, and I want you to tell him this word. 277 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,480 I'm going to show him how many things he must suffer for my 278 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:32,600 kingdom's sake. Who? 279 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:36,160 Hallelujah. You guys know if that's a 280 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:37,800 prophetic word you got for someone, that's not a word you 281 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,400 want to give to anybody. Because I'm going to put him 282 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:45,680 before kings and Gentiles for my kingdom's sake. 283 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:51,880 See, before, before the wake up call, he thought he knew the 284 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:54,560 Lord. Before the wake up call, he 285 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,000 thought he was doing the things that God had called him to do 286 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:01,200 before he got knocked down. He thought, I'm doing everything 287 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,280 I'm supposed to do. I'm in the right place. 288 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:07,160 I'm living in the right box. And after he got knocked down, 289 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:12,600 he realized I got bad alignment. I'm off track, I'm going the 290 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:14,680 wrong way. I've been doing this all wrong. 291 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,240 The Lord wants you to awaken this morning. 292 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,480 He's reaching out to us and he's saying arise from the places 293 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,360 that you find yourself in. I want to give you this light. 294 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:26,600 Paul literally wrote this to us and it was the word that he had 295 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,200 to walk in. And I started thinking about 296 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:33,640 this until Jesus. I always remember your life 297 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:37,960 until Jesus and some of you in this room, you don't have a life 298 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:40,360 until Jesus because your parents raised you in the church. 299 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:43,320 You came here and you didn't really have an until Jesus, but 300 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,320 you did. Because even my own kids when 301 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:47,520 they went to camp, they had their until Jesus moment. 302 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:50,520 And so we have this opportunity to realize I'm not just fill in 303 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:51,760 a box. I'm not just checking this 304 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:53,560 thing. I want to receive everything 305 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:56,280 that God has for me because until Jesus, I live like this. 306 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,600 But now after Jesus, I want to live like this. 307 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:00,320 I don't want to be who I used to be. 308 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:02,040 I don't want to operate in the things I used to operate in. 309 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:03,920 I want to operate in the fullness of this Kingdom, and I 310 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:05,800 don't want to leave a single, single door unturned. 311 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:07,880 Amen. I want them all. 312 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,320 Lord, You spoke and I want it. Let's enter into it. 313 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,080 So in Isaiah chapter 52 verses one through 2, it says awake, 314 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:16,920 awake. Put on your strength, O Zion. 315 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:21,560 Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city for 316 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,320 the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to 317 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,400 you. Shake yourself from the dust. 318 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:30,680 Arise, sit down, O Jerusalem. Loose yourself from the bonds of 319 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,080 your neck, O captive daughters of Zion. 320 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:37,280 Awake, awake, put on your garments. 321 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:40,200 We need to put on our strength, Church. 322 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,640 That's what it means to put on our garments is to put on our 323 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:45,120 strength. God's calling us to wake up and 324 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,040 to put on the strength to operate in the things that He's 325 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:48,640 called us to. And here's the thing, You're not 326 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,640 going to put on your own strength because you've already 327 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,200 figured this out, your strength, but it's just not enough. 328 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:55,960 Your strength is not going to get the job done. 329 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,240 So the strength that we're going to put on is our confidence is 330 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:01,280 not in me. My confidence is in the Lord. 331 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:03,600 My strength is not in me. My strength is in the Lord. 332 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,119 And, and so this is about walking with him and, and 333 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,680 receiving the promises that he's working in us to make us strong. 334 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,520 I said make us strong because we have this idea that I, I, I love 335 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:16,880 where Jesus says the truth shall set you free. 336 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:19,599 You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. 337 00:17:19,599 --> 00:17:20,800 How many guys know That's beautiful. 338 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:25,520 At some point in my life, I was like a cage bird and I made the 339 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,280 cage beautiful, all the little trappings in it had all the 340 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:30,600 little things I liked. And it's going to be this when 341 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:32,320 this happens in the cage, it's going to be so good. 342 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,640 And this happens in my cage. But I didn't realize I was in my 343 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:36,680 cage. I thought I was actually out 344 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:38,880 flying around. I thought I was actually doing 345 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:40,400 something. No, I was in captivity. 346 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,680 And one day Jesus showed up and he opened up the door and he 347 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:44,480 said, get out of there, stupid. What are you doing? 348 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:45,760 I ain't called you to live in there. 349 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:48,040 Get out of there. I started flying around and I'm 350 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:50,120 like, wait a minute, this is this is it. 351 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:52,760 This is something. So I love the truth and the 352 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:54,480 truth shall make set you free. But guess what? 353 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:55,640 The truth isn't just going to set you free. 354 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:59,200 It's going to make you free. And that's what this is talking 355 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:00,440 about when we put on our strength. 356 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,520 This is about the Lord doing things in your life to exercise 357 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:06,720 you, to prepare you to mature you, to put on the strength that 358 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,160 He's called you to operate in. So we've got to get dressed. 359 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,000 We got to get dressed. We got to put on our garments. 360 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:15,880 We got to stop living distracted. 361 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,640 We got to stop putting on the wrong garments, and we got to 362 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:19,920 start putting on the right garments. 363 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:22,920 While the right garments are priestly garments, kingly 364 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,080 garments, garments of authority, garments of of servant 365 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:29,600 attitudes, garments where we're believing what God can do in US 366 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:34,320 and can do through US. Dress is pretty important to us, 367 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:36,720 right? Fashion is a thing. 368 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,000 Yes. OK for like 4 of you. 369 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:46,280 All right, bad reference. So I see that fashion is a 370 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:48,080 thing. We when we get dressed, we think 371 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:49,800 like we're look in the mirror. We're like, all right, I like 372 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,000 that. So I'm going to talk about this 373 00:18:52,000 --> 00:19:00,600 shirt. I bought this shirt for my son 374 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,080 in a different size, let's be honest. 375 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:13,520 And I wrapped it up and I'm just he is going to love this shirt. 376 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:20,640 This shirt is killer. My wife is like cocking her head 377 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,080 a little bit. She's like, we should have 378 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:24,240 Brooklyn. Take a look at that. 379 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:31,480 If you have a Brooklyn, which means you have a daughter, she 380 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,400 comes in with her opinion. And if you've got little kids, 381 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,560 just know they're cute right now, love that moment. 382 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:40,960 But they're going to show up with their opinions and she's 383 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:43,000 going to tell you what's cool and what's not cool. 384 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,320 And so she just looks at that shirt and she's like, that is 385 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:51,000 not cool. And I'm like, this shirt is 386 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:52,440 awesome. What are you talking about? 387 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:55,520 This shirt is not cool. I knew the sweater he was 388 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,320 getting for Christmas. And I'm like underneath that 389 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,560 sweater with the collar popping and the tail sticking out, I'm 390 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:05,760 like, boom, that's the shirt. That shirt. 391 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:10,040 Wow, that's it. My wife is like, I don't, my 392 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:12,160 daughter's like, definitely not that shirt. 393 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:20,120 Christmas morning comes. Presents are being opened. 394 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:22,840 I'm on the edge of my seat because I bought. 395 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:25,640 I don't, I don't, I'm not, I don't do the presents. 396 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,080 That's not my thing. I don't my wife, that was her 397 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:31,080 gig. And this year I'm like, I'm 398 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:32,840 getting them this, they're getting that. 399 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:35,120 I like this. I think she'd wear that. 400 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,760 And I'm just buying, buying, buying, buying. 401 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:42,240 I'm having a ball and I'm waiting for the shirt. 402 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:46,080 I'm like sitting on my hands. I'm like, he's coming open the 403 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,400 shirt. I'm going to prove them wrong. 404 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,720 I've got taste. I know what I'm talking about. 405 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:55,920 Brooklyn's like that's like an old man shirt. 406 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:01,720 You, you, you want him to dress like he's 50 something like what 407 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:03,320 are you? What are you talking about? 408 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:05,360 And I'm just like, he's going to love it. 409 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:09,000 He's going to love 50 something dress shirts sitting on my 410 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:10,960 hands. He opens it up and he holds it 411 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:12,760 up. And I could just, I look at his 412 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:16,840 face. I look at her face, I look at 413 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:19,120 his face, I look at my wife's face, I look at Brooklyn's face. 414 00:21:19,120 --> 00:21:21,560 I'm like, this is not going my way. 415 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,320 So I took that shirt back and I bought a different shirt in my 416 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:31,360 size because for 50 some years old, this shirt is cool. 417 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:36,040 And if it's not, don't tell me because I think it is. 418 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,320 I jest with you this morning. I tell a story like that and be 419 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:42,680 dramatic about it. But we've got to get dressed 420 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:46,320 church. And here's the thing, we're not 421 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:48,040 putting on the clothes we want to put on. 422 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,760 We're supposed to be putting on kingly garments and Prince 423 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,800 priestly garments. We, we get so caught up wanting 424 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:59,040 to blend in and be like the people around us. 425 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:01,800 We got so caught up thinking I got to dress like so and so I 426 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:03,840 got to look like so and so. I got to speak like so and so. 427 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,840 I got to have what such and such has and, and all these different 428 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:08,520 things. And I'm not trying to blend in. 429 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:11,160 I'm not trying to go back. I'm trying to go forward. 430 00:22:12,360 --> 00:22:16,080 I got another example for you. I like sugar. 431 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,880 Does anyone in the room like sugar? 432 00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:23,840 I mean, sugar just calls to me. I can just hear it now. 433 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:26,640 I know where it's at in my house. 434 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:30,720 It's beckoning me now, Rich, you know where we are. 435 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,400 Come home after you're full with lunch and have a little bit of 436 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:36,600 sugar. You deserve it. 437 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:45,480 You preach today. Now, I'm not comparing me to any 438 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:47,360 of you. I'm talking about me. 439 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,760 When I eat sugar, I start adding on pounds. 440 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,160 You can look at me like, Oh yeah, right bro, you got you 441 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:56,400 could use a few more pounds. We're all different. 442 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:58,840 I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is, is that I 443 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,040 start eating sugar and I can't stop myself. 444 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:06,320 My wife buys these Brookside blueberries covered with 445 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,800 chocolate. If you go to Costco, just stay 446 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:16,200 away from them. Satan lives inside that bag and 447 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,880 I can just get a handful of those pomegranate blueberry 448 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:28,880 encrusted chocolate delights just and then I go back from 449 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:31,240 war. I don't even sit like simply 450 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:33,840 we'll just give you portion control, right? 451 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:37,080 That's the problem. Sugar says no portion control 452 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:40,840 will go crazy. And some of you can relate to 453 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:45,640 this because if you have diabetes or you have, if you've 454 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:50,280 had a heart attack or some other medical issue, the doctor says 455 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:52,760 if you want to live, you got to do these things. 456 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:55,240 So what happens when people have open heart surgery? 457 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:56,680 They come out of that surgery, they're like, I'm eating 458 00:23:56,680 --> 00:23:59,960 carrots. No more white bread in my life. 459 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:03,400 Celery's my friend. I'm not eating dessert anymore. 460 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,680 I mean, I've seen everyone does it, and I'm not throwing you 461 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:07,720 under the bus because I just threw myself under the bus. 462 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:12,600 We think we know or, or, or, or we say this is what I'm going to 463 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:14,760 do. But this voice draws us back. 464 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,120 And before you know it, you're eating all the stuff or doing 465 00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:19,840 the things you know you shouldn't be doing. 466 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:23,160 Church. We got to get dressed. 467 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:25,760 We got to put on our royal garments, and we got to close 468 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:27,880 the door on those former things. And we got to move forward 469 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:32,000 because you're a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, 470 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,600 a holy nation, His own special people, that he may proclaim the 471 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,280 praises of him who called you out of darkness into his 472 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:43,080 marvelous light, who were once not a people, but are now the 473 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,400 people of God who had not obtained mercy, but now have 474 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,880 obtained it. We have a new identity. 475 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,480 We got to shake off our dust. We got to shake off our 476 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:52,920 humiliation. We got to shake off our 477 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:54,920 captivity. That former, that last verse 478 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,200 talked about. We have this new identity. 479 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:00,440 If there's one thing that I could, if I could shake every 480 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:04,680 young person in this room, every young person, you need to know 481 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:09,840 who you are in Christ Jesus. Because as a young person, all 482 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:13,040 your friends, all your peers, all the stuff, all the 483 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:16,440 commercials, everything around you is calling on you is trying 484 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,240 to get you to recognize you're not chosen, you're not royal, 485 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:23,000 you're not special. It's trying to lie to you to get 486 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:26,520 you to not identify with your Father in heaven who called you 487 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:29,440 as a person that was not and said you are. 488 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:34,040 He brought you forth and so now I even speak to you that are 489 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:38,160 more seasoned Saints. You're a chosen generation. 490 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:42,480 You're a royal priesthood. The Lord is calling to all of us 491 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:44,720 saying you've got something to do here and I've put something 492 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:46,800 inside of you. Stop going back. 493 00:25:47,120 --> 00:25:50,560 Stop looking back. We're the now generation pastor 494 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:52,600 Lord and talk with us about last week. 495 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:55,760 He shared with us all the different denominational things 496 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:59,200 and how all of it's changed and how his generation, the Buber 497 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,280 generation, has literally broken the captivity, the cage that 498 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:04,520 kept us all in mainline denominations so that we could 499 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,120 come out and experience the fullness of God, a heartfelt 500 00:26:07,120 --> 00:26:10,360 relationship with Christ. That's all we've ever wanted. 501 00:26:10,360 --> 00:26:12,240 That's all God ever wanted for us to have that heart 502 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:15,680 connection. It's time for us to go in a new 503 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,800 generation that's arising, the now generation. 504 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:21,320 I don't know about you, but that's what I want. 505 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,080 I want to get there. And that's not age specific. 506 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:27,480 That's open to every single one of us, this opportunity to go in 507 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,880 and possess this land and, and to bring our kids and our 508 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:31,080 grandkids and our great grandkids. 509 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:33,440 I I want to see generational blessing in this. 510 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:36,040 And so gay men give the Lord a praise. 511 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:45,560 So Peter Ricey says, beloved, I beg you as sojourners and 512 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,400 pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the 513 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:51,880 soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, 514 00:26:52,120 --> 00:26:56,400 that when they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your 515 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:00,680 good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of 516 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:04,040 visitation. Paul writing the Church of 517 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:07,240 Ephesus, Peter writing the church, they're both saying the 518 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:11,200 same thing, that we were created for good works, that there would 519 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:14,840 be something about us. Paul's writing us and he's not, 520 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:18,920 He's not commanding the people He was as their pastor, as their 521 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:22,280 shepherd. He was, he was, he was pleading 522 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:27,080 with them. I, I urge you, those who I love 523 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:33,440 so dearly, I, I urge you, I hear the Father saying I, I, I love 524 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:36,480 you so much. I urge you, don't get caught up 525 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,120 in these things. I implore you, I have something 526 00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:44,880 more for you. We have this flesh that's that's 527 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,080 warring with us in it. It wants to clutter our 528 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:52,280 identity, wants to confuse us, wants to pull us back, wants to 529 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:56,120 lull us back to sleep again. I don't want to be lulled back 530 00:27:56,120 --> 00:27:58,560 to sleep. I don't want to go backwards. 531 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:01,240 I want to go forward. I want to walk in all the things 532 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:04,120 that God declared about my life and and my potential and who 533 00:28:04,120 --> 00:28:09,040 he's called me to be. You are loved. 534 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:16,520 Live like who you are. Your Father in heaven loves you. 535 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:23,800 You're his son and his daughter. Do you live like that? 536 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:31,440 Do the people see that? Because it's easy for us to get 537 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:33,840 caught up in the world and it's trappings. 538 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:37,520 It's things. We're sojourners. 539 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,040 We're pilgrims, a sojourner is literally someone that is 540 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:42,320 transient. They're moving through. 541 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:45,560 A Pilgrim recognizes like I'm not putting in a, a, a permanent 542 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:49,000 foundation here. I was created for eternity. 543 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:53,640 I am not going to live forever, but I was created for eternity 544 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,800 and I know the things of my life will come with me. 545 00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:59,360 Those things that I've done under the father, they're going 546 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,200 to be brought before him and he's going to say, look what you 547 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,840 did. I want to live my life in a way 548 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:06,480 that he looks at that and says, come on, rich, come home. 549 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:08,360 I've called you. Well done. 550 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:13,600 Amen. So we can't settle and create 551 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:18,800 permanent dwellings here because identity changes how I conduct 552 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,240 myself. It changes how I look at myself 553 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:25,920 and look at things. I'm not trying to fit in to the 554 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:27,960 systems of the world. I'm not trying to fit into these 555 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:30,760 things. I adjusted about a shirt, you 556 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:31,920 know, adjusted about these things. 557 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,880 But I want to be part of a different Kingdom, and I want to 558 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:38,000 make sure that the garments that I'm putting on represent the 559 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:43,080 king and his Kingdom. So in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus 560 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:45,240 says, therefore do not worry, saying what shall we eat? 561 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:46,920 What shall we drink, what shall we wear? 562 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:51,800 For after all these things the Gentiles seek, I love Pastor 563 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:54,520 Lauren. Two weeks ago on a Wednesday, he 564 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,000 said, don't act like the Gentiles. 565 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:59,320 You're not a Gentile, you're a chosen one. 566 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:04,240 You're a beloved 1 For after all these things, that's what the 567 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:06,480 world is seeking. For your heavenly Father knows 568 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:07,720 that you need these things. But what? 569 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:10,720 Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all 570 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:12,000 these things will be added to you. 571 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:14,600 Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow we'll 572 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,480 worry about His own thing. Sufficient for the day is its 573 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:25,080 own trouble. Food, drink, clothes, those were 574 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:25,960 Jesus. That was it. 575 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:27,840 I know I've shared the scripture on many occasions. 576 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:29,440 It's one that always resonates with me. 577 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,640 I, I'm not saying that there aren't some people that are, 578 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,200 are, have some food instability in their lives. 579 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:38,080 By no means am I saying that I know there, you know, that 580 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,800 people will call the church and ask for food baskets or food 581 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,680 things and food pantries. And, and so I, I know that even 582 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:45,920 in our society today, you might think yourself, gosh, how could 583 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:47,520 that be? Well, it happens. 584 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:49,640 Food insecurity is still a real thing. 585 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:51,120 But here's the news flash for you. 586 00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:53,320 You can go to a faucet anywhere in this church and you can get 587 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:54,520 all the water you'd ever want to drink. 588 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:56,960 And here's a bag of news flash for you. 589 00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:59,800 The bottled water that you're drinking probably came from 590 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:02,720 another state where they opened up a tap and ran it through a 591 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,840 filter and filled those plastic bottles and then gave them to 592 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:06,800 you so that you could drink them. 593 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:09,480 And probably made them worse for you than the water that you were 594 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:10,680 originally drinking out of your faucet. 595 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:15,680 No, the plastics. Right. 596 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,800 OK, just not preaching to you that way. 597 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:21,720 There's something we should contemplate. 598 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:27,160 Maybe just fill your cup up, save yourself. 599 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:29,360 There's your retirement plan. There you go. 600 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:34,640 So food, drink, clothes. No, you know, it's aren't your 601 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:36,240 three. Maybe you're like, man, I got 602 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:38,080 all the food, drink and clothes I need, right? 603 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:40,880 So what is it for you? What are your three? 604 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:45,880 That's my question. Is IT security or or or maybe 605 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:49,040 status? Is it control? 606 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:55,080 Because all of those things are about me in the same way that is 607 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:58,960 food, water, right, and clothes. It's about me. 608 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,320 It's easy for us to get caught up in me and not trusting that 609 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:06,400 God has an awesome plan that He's going to bring to pass that 610 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:08,720 we think that I've got to go out and make my security. 611 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:10,480 And I love my retirement account. 612 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:11,880 Don't get me wrong. I like checking on it from time 613 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:14,520 to time. And I manage part of my own 614 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:18,600 funds. And not to be braggadocious, but 615 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:22,720 the funds that I'm currently managing are making 15%, which 616 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:24,320 means I could be a hedge, hedge fund manager. 617 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,280 And I didn't know it. I'm a, I'm a minister in 618 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:28,560 disguise. I'm actually a hedge fund 619 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:32,200 manager. If that's a joke, that's very 620 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:39,000 serious in this room. So we've got to realize that I, 621 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:41,800 I can look at that and I can get all my security. 622 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:42,880 I got to make sure I've got enough. 623 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:44,240 I got to do this. I got to do this. 624 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:46,520 We got to, got to, got to, got to control this. 625 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:47,760 I got to manipulate this. I got to make this. 626 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:52,840 And I love control. I mean, I love control, right? 627 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:56,320 My wife is in the back, like nodding her head, man, it's 30 628 00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:59,320 years. I love control. 629 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:04,440 And Jesus is telling us all, are you going to be like everybody 630 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:06,600 else in the world? Are you going to be running 631 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:08,240 after all those same things? Are you going to put on these 632 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:09,520 new garments that I've called you to? 633 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:12,680 Are you going to trust in me and trust in what I've got? 634 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:19,000 Because until Jesus came, we ran around doing crazy and stupid, 635 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:24,160 and now we should be looking at this in a whole new light, that 636 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:26,320 we should change what we're seeking after and what is our 637 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:29,520 satisfaction that we should have in a little alignment because 638 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:31,920 this identity changes what I'm looking for. 639 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,680 Amen. So in first Peter chapter 2, it 640 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:40,000 says there therefore to you who believe he is precious, but to 641 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:43,360 those who are disobedient, the stone which the builder rejected 642 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,520 has become the chief cornerstone and a stone of stumbling in a 643 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:49,120 rock of offense. They stumble being disobedient 644 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:52,120 to the word to which they also were appointed. 645 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:58,040 So what do you believe is he your cornerstone? 646 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:02,960 Did you put him as that original stone to say I'm going to build 647 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,080 this is going to set the line true. 648 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,080 This is the rest of my house is going to be built on the 649 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:10,920 cornerstone. Christ Jesus, have you made that 650 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:14,760 decision that this is the most important stone in my life? 651 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:18,400 Or he is just a rock of stumbling and a rock of offense 652 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:22,159 because I've lived with both and you can't have him at the same 653 00:34:22,159 --> 00:34:25,159 time. He's either your cornerstone or 654 00:34:25,159 --> 00:34:27,920 the offensive one and you just keep tripping over him. 655 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,840 It's not one or it's one or the other. 656 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:35,320 We've received this incredible gift from God to walk in the 657 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:38,920 Word, to be people that walk in the Word in discipleship tonight 658 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:43,080 as I'm reading that preparing for tonight and preparing for 659 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:45,400 today and the word all kind of gets jumbled together. 660 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:47,760 One of the things that comes up in tonight's group, for those of 661 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:49,840 you taking discipleship, and if you haven't taken discipleship, 662 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:52,199 here's a shameless plug. We're going to do it again in 663 00:34:52,199 --> 00:34:54,760 April. You can join me, see me after 664 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:55,719 church. If you have not taken 665 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:57,600 discipleship and you're like, man, I know I need to do that. 666 00:34:57,600 --> 00:35:00,520 We're going to start in April after Easter and we will do for 667 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:02,000 13 weeks and we'll go through the summer. 668 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:05,360 But discipleship, one of the things that comes up is the the 669 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:07,800 Kingdom of heaven is governed by principles and concepts. 670 00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:12,800 That's what it says in the book, that the Bible is literally a 671 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:15,160 book of principles and concepts that govern this Kingdom. 672 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:16,960 How many guys know that's like a cheat code? 673 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:21,680 How many guys like cheat codes? That makes sense, right? 674 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:25,600 If just do this, you get this, have this, do that, right? 675 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:27,880 It just makes sense. And so these principles and 676 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,840 concepts is God calling us to be doers of the Word and to be 677 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:33,400 people that have the Word working in US and abiding in our 678 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:34,880 relationship with Christ. Amen. 679 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:39,040 These are some basic principles and concepts and so God wants to 680 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:41,920 to be that people that walk in this word and in my closing 681 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,720 Scripture today is really that it says. 682 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:47,720 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy 683 00:35:47,720 --> 00:35:51,000 and envy and all evil speaking as newborn babes desire the pure 684 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:54,960 murk of the world that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have 685 00:35:54,960 --> 00:36:01,160 tasted the Lord is gracious. We have food to eat. 686 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:10,160 Church as this now generation, the now generation isn't the 687 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:13,640 young people in the room. The now generation is every 688 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:17,760 single person in this room. God has something for all of us 689 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:23,240 to do and to be a part of. And so as part of this, we've 690 00:36:23,240 --> 00:36:27,880 got to recognize our right identity because if your 691 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:30,680 identity is in the wrong things, you're not going to get there. 692 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:33,880 If you think your satisfaction is going to come through the 693 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:36,920 things that you eat, the things that you wear, right, the things 694 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,400 that you drink or your security that you've made for yourself. 695 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:42,080 Or maybe you're, maybe you're getting 22% in your hedge fund 696 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:44,840 managing, you know, you, you think you've got your own 697 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:46,560 satisfaction in what you're doing. 698 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:53,160 Our identity is in him. It's hidden in him. 699 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:58,480 And I hear him calling out to us, calling us to grow up and 700 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:01,240 did start to do the Kingdom exploits that he's called us to 701 00:37:01,720 --> 00:37:05,160 that this wouldn't just be about an identity, but recognizing 702 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:07,400 this identity is so that you can launch forward. 703 00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:10,400 And how are we going to do that through the word? 704 00:37:11,720 --> 00:37:13,000 We've got to be a people of the word. 705 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:16,560 We've got to know what the word says so that we can eat that and 706 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:22,480 be alive. I remember my my kids when they 707 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:26,080 when this is something about baby moments. 708 00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:30,200 I loved when my kids were just little itty bitty peanuts, like 709 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:34,080 brand new, you know, they just, you just wrap them all up super 710 00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:37,880 tight and they're like a little heating pad and they smell so 711 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:40,400 good. And when they want to eat, you 712 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:44,320 know, just they eat. They just eat and eat and eat 713 00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:45,960 and eat. At least our kids, it's like 714 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:47,720 you, they just eat and kept eating. 715 00:37:47,720 --> 00:37:50,880 And the more they ate, the more they grew. 716 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:55,240 The word of God is our nutrition church. 717 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:59,360 As we partake in it, we're going to grow. 718 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:03,000 We're going to mature that we can do the exploits that He's 719 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:10,160 called us to do, or we can stay sleepy, we can stay slumbering 720 00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:13,640 in our seats, and we can miss the opportunities that are right 721 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:18,240 in front of us for family, for loved ones, for friends. 722 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:23,120 I'm convinced there's people around us every day that need 723 00:38:23,240 --> 00:38:29,400 you and the good news that God did in your life, but you've got 724 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:32,640 to be willing to share it. Some of you has given very 725 00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:35,240 creative ways to do that. Others of you are just going to 726 00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:42,760 have to speak words. The Father's calling us the now 727 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:44,840 generation. Amen. 728 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:47,240 I'm going to close if you guys close your eyes and just bow 729 00:38:47,240 --> 00:38:48,840 your heads for a minute before you start grabbing our 730 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:53,960 communions because there's a depth that the Lord wants to 731 00:38:53,960 --> 00:39:02,800 work in us this morning. You've got to answer the 732 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:06,560 question, what's your satisfaction? 733 00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:14,560 I'm not saying you can't have stuff, but the stuff is not the 734 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:17,240 satisfaction. The stuff giver is the 735 00:39:17,240 --> 00:39:25,360 satisfaction. Thank you, Father, Lord, we just 736 00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:29,600 open our hearts to you today, Lord, before we receive this 737 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:34,200 meal. Lord, there's a work that you're 738 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:37,440 wanting to do in US, Lord, that we would eat this word. 739 00:39:38,720 --> 00:39:41,080 Lord, when we were babies we needed to be fed. 740 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:49,480 But your word declares that when we grow old, when we age up, the 741 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:54,040 meat is to do the will of the Father, to do the work. 742 00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:58,760 But I pray for every person that's listening today, for 743 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:04,200 those that are home listening, Father, that we would see, Lord, 744 00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:08,120 it's time to do the work. It's time to eat the meat. 745 00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:12,440 It's time to become those mature ones in the House of the Lord in 746 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:15,720 this day of awakening. Lord, as messengers of this 747 00:40:15,720 --> 00:40:18,680 Kingdom, oh we pray in Jesus name, Amen. 748 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:22,840 This is Pastor Lorne Coverbius from Mount Zion Church. 749 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:25,800 We thank you for joining us today and invite you to connect 750 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:29,400 with our church family by visiting mountzion.org and 751 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:32,040 following us on social media. God bless you.